CaliToday (14/10/2025): NATO's chief delivered a sharp diplomatic jab at Russia's naval capabilities on Monday, joking that its once-feared fleet was now on a "hunt for the nearest mechanic," as Moscow issued a strenuous denial that one of its advanced submarines had suffered a critical malfunction off the coast of Europe.
The subject of the mockery, Russia's Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk, was recently shadowed by a British warship and helicopter as it transited the English Channel on the surface, accompanied by a support tug. While Russia claims this was a routine procedure, Western officials and intelligence reports paint a picture of a vessel in distress.
"What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte quipped during a speech in Slovenia, describing the "broken" vessel as "limping" its way home.
Rutte drove the point home, adding that there was "hardly any Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean left," suggesting a significant degradation of Moscow's maritime power.
The incident unfolded over several days, drawing a coordinated NATO response. The UK's Royal Navy tracked the submarine and its tug from October 7 to 9. The warship HMS Iron Duke monitored the surfaced Novorossiysk as it passed through the Channel and into the North Sea. On Saturday, the Dutch Defence Ministry confirmed its navy had then taken over escort duties.
Adding weight to the Western narrative, a Telegram channel known for publishing alleged Russian security leaks, VChK-OGPU, reported on September 27 that the Novorossiysk was experiencing a serious fuel leak into its hold while near the Strait of Gibraltar, raising the alarming risk of an explosion.
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| The Royal Navy said it tracked the Russian submarine Novorossiysk through the English Channel [The Royal Navy] |
In a starkly different narrative, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet fiercely contested the claims. In a statement carried by the Interfax news agency on Monday, the press service said, "Information disseminated by a number of media outlets about an alleged malfunction and, as a result, the emergency surfacing of the diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk off the coast of France does not correspond to reality."
Moscow insisted the submarine, part of a group capable of carrying deadly Kalibr cruise missiles, was conducting a "scheduled inter-fleet transit." It added, "In accordance with international navigation regulations, submarines are to navigate the English Channel only while on the surface."
However, the presence of a towing vessel and the earlier intelligence leak have fueled skepticism about Russia's official line.
The tense passage is the latest in a series of close encounters in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Just two weeks prior, the Royal Navy tracked a Russian frigate and a cargo vessel through the same waters.
Al Carns, Britain's Minister for the Armed Forces, framed the operation as a demonstration of alliance strength. The navy's latest action, he said, was "a clear sign of how the UK stands strong with our NATO allies to push back against Russian aggression."
This cat-and-mouse game in the Channel has also revealed increasingly deceptive Russian tactics. In June, a BBC Verify investigation found that a Russian warship had disguised itself using a fake ID signal while travelling alongside two vessels from Russia’s "shadow fleet"—a network of tankers with obscured ownership used to transport sanctioned oil.
The conflicting accounts of the Novorossiysk's journey leave a murky picture, but the optics of a modern Russian submarine being closely escorted by NATO forces, whether broken or not, serve as a potent symbol of the strained relations and constant military posturing in European waters.