When one of its Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines recently surfaced off the coast of France, Russia denied there was a problem with the ship. The submarine simply surfaced to comply with rules for maritime transport across the English Channel, the Kremlin said – Russia, of course, was a noted follower of international law.
But social media accounts historically linked to Russian security forces suggested a much more serious problem with the submarine Novorossiysk. According to The Maritime Executive, “rumors began circulating on well-informed social media channels that the Novorossiysk had a fuel leak. They suggested that the ship had no onboard capabilities and was forced to surface to clear flooded compartments. According to some reports, it involved a dangerous fuel leak on board the ship, which was commissioned in 2012.”
France 24 quoted further social media reports: “The submarine has neither the spare parts nor the qualified specialists on board to fix the malfunction,” and “now poses an explosion hazard.”
When the Novorossiysk surfaced over the coast of France a few days ago, it headed north and was promptly shadowed by a French warship, then an English ship and finally a Dutch hydrographic recording vessel and an NH90 attack helicopter. The Dutch Navy reported this in a statement Novorossiysk and “the tug Jakov Grebelskiwho apparently dragged it, have left the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone. Although Russian ships have the right to sail through international waters, the Dutch wanted to show “vigilance” by “preventing Russian ships from sabotaging submarine infrastructure.”
