Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
“In effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence left in the Mediterranean”, he said.
“In effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence left in the Mediterranean”, he said.
What is happening?
A Russian submarine was forced to surface off the coast of Brittany, France, on Oct. 9 after suffering a major malfunction.
NATO naval forces quickly detected the submarine, which was reportedly being towed by a tugboat and later escorted by the Dutch navy.
NATO chief mocks Russia’s faltering submarine
During a speech in Slovenia, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte openly mocked the incident, describing the submarine as “limping,” Kyiv Independent reports.
He added, “Now, in effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence left in the Mediterranean.”
Rutte’s Tom Clancy jab goes viral
Rutte didn’t hold back on the sarcasm, quipping,
“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.”
His comment quickly gained attention across media and social platforms.
The troubled vessel: Novorossiysk
The submarine in question, the Novorossiysk, is a diesel-electric vessel equipped with Kalibr long-range cruise missiles.
It was commissioned in 2014 as part of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and had reportedly been patrolling the Mediterranean before the incident.
Moscow insists it was a ‘scheduled transit’
Despite the public debacle, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet denied there was any emergency.
On Oct. 13, it claimed the submarine was simply carrying out a “scheduled inter-fleet transit” after wrapping up operations in the Mediterranean.
Dutch media reports fuel leak emergency
Contrary to Russia’s statement, the NL Times reported the submarine experienced a serious fuel leak that forced it to surface.
Unable to dock in ports along the Black Sea or Syria, the sub had to reroute toward northern waters under NATO’s watch for emergency repairs.
Telegram leak reveals dire conditions on board
According to a post from Russian Telegram channel VChK-OGPU—believed to be linked to Russian security services—the crew discovered fuel flooding part of the submarine in late September.
Lacking qualified repair staff, they were left with few options.
Crew drained fuel into sea to prevent explosion
The same Telegram report claimed the crew had to take drastic measures: Surfacing the submarine and dumping the fuel directly into the sea.
This risky move was reportedly the only way to avoid a catastrophic explosion.
Russia’s Mediterranean naval presence falters
The incident underscores Russia’s declining naval operations in the Mediterranean.
Once a formidable presence, its fleet has now been reduced to a limping submarine in need of a tow—both literally and symbolically undermining Moscow’s maritime posture.
A public embarrassment for the Kremlin
With NATO forces involved and international media tracking the submarine’s slow return, the situation has become a public relations setback for the Kremlin.
The image of a damaged Russian sub being shepherded by NATO allies has only fueled wider criticism of Russia’s military readiness.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
