NATO Chief Mocks Russia's 'Limping' Sub

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte quipped Monday that Russia's submarine fleet looks less like a scene from The Hunt for Red October and "more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic" following reports that the Kilo-class Novorossiysk had surfaced off France and appeared to be in trouble. UK forces tracked the submarine, previously deployed in the Mediterranean, and a support tug for three days last week as they passed through the English Channel and into the North Sea, per the BBC. The Dutch navy then took over escort duties, reporting that the sub was under tow.

That observation came after a Telegram channel known for Russian security leaks reported late last month that fuel was leaking into the sub's hold in the Strait of Gibraltar. Russia denied there was any kind of emergency, with the Black Sea Fleet claiming the surfacing was needed due to navigation rules in the English Channel. But Rutte said the "broken" sub was "limping" home, leaving "hardly any Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean," per Reuters. UK Minister for the Armed Forces Al Carns, meanwhile, described the latest tracking operation as further evidence of NATO unity in countering Russian aggression.