Russia Mocked Over ‘Damaged’ Stealth Submarine in NATO Waters

[ad_1] The NATO secretary common has mocked Russia over the "limping" situation of one in every of its "damaged" submarines after it was seen surfacing in NATO waters.

NATO's Maritime Command revealed pictures on October 9 of a French navy frigate monitoring what it mentioned was a Russian submarine off the coast of Brittany.

Mark Rutte mentioned Monday the Novorossiysk submarine was "damaged" and joked that the pursuit of it was much less Hunt for Pink October, extra "hunt for nearest mechanic."

<img id="10875995" alt="" caption="" captionoverride="NATO Maritime Command published photos on Oct. 9 of a French Navy frigate observing a Russian submarine off the coast of Brittany, northern France." credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="817" height="472" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-13-101733-1.png?w=640&quality=75&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-13-101733-1.png?w=750&quality=75&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-13-101733-1.png?w=1000&quality=75&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-13-101733-1.png?w=1200&quality=75&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-13-101733-1.png?w=1360&quality=75&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-13-101733-1.png?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Screenshot-2025-10-13-101733-1.png?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1"/> "Now, in impact, there may be hardly any Russian naval presence within the Mediterranean left. There’s a lone and damaged Russian submarine limping dwelling from patrol," he mentioned.

"What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Pink October. Right now, it appears extra just like the hunt for the closest mechanic."

<img id="10876119" alt="" caption="Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery in a scene from the film 'The Hunt For Red October', 1990. (Photo by Paramount/Getty Images)" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="4780" height="3071" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 1024px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-168583728.jpg?w=640&quality=75&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-168583728.jpg?w=750&quality=75&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-168583728.jpg?w=1000&quality=75&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-168583728.jpg?w=1200&quality=75&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-168583728.jpg?w=1360&quality=75&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-168583728.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-168583728.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1"/> Tensions between Moscow and NATO are excessive following a string of unexplained drone incidents—a few of which Western officers have blamed on Russia.

Russia Denies Submarine Is 'Damaged' On Monday, Russia denied the submarine had suffered a technical failure and mentioned it was complying with worldwide maritime guidelines.

"Experiences by some media shops of an alleged malfunction that triggered the Novorossiysk diesel-electric submarine to make an emergency floor off the coast of France are false," Russia's Black Sea Fleet mentioned in a press release, in line with TASS, Russia's state information company.

<img id="10876090" alt="" caption="BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - SEPTEMBER 30: Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte and the President of the European Commission (Unseen) talk to media during a media briefing in the Berlaymont, the EU Commission headquarter on September 30, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. NATO secretarygeneral and the European Commission president said that they want to reinforce the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU and to lay the groundwork for a new highlevel task force aimed at deepening NATOEU cooperation (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)" captionoverride="Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte at a media briefing in the Berlaymont, the EU Commission headquarter on September 30, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="7728" height="5152" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237844702-1.jpg?w=640&quality=75&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237844702-1.jpg?w=750&quality=75&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237844702-1.jpg?w=1000&quality=75&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237844702-1.jpg?w=1200&quality=75&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237844702-1.jpg?w=1360&quality=75&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237844702-1.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2237844702-1.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1"/> The assertion added that "the submarine crew is at present conducting a routine inter-fleet switch after performing missions as a part of the Russian Navy’s standing process power stationed within the Mediterranean Sea."

"In line with the worldwide guidelines of navigation, submarines are purported to move by way of the English Channel solely in surfaced place."

Beneath the United Nations Conference on the Legislation of the Sea (UNCLOS), Article 20 states that for territorial seas, submarines and different underwater automobiles should navigate on the floor and present their flag.

This rule applies for the English Channel, as it's a strait used for worldwide navigation. All ships have the best of transit passage, supplied they adjust to UNCLOS provisions.

<img id="10876093" alt="" caption="DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN - OCTOBER 10: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his press conference, on October 10, 2025 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Leaders of ex-Soviet States are meeting in Tajikistan for the Summit of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)" captionoverride="DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN—OCTOBER 10: (RUSSIA OUT) Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his press conference, on October 10, 2025 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Leaders of ex-Soviet States are meeting in Tajikistan for the Summit of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="8192" height="5464" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" src="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2239699671_421210.jpg?w=640&quality=75&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2239699671_421210.jpg?w=750&quality=75&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2239699671_421210.jpg?w=1000&quality=75&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2239699671_421210.jpg?w=1200&quality=75&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2239699671_421210.jpg?w=1360&quality=75&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2239699671_421210.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1 1600w" bad-src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2239699671_421210.jpg?w=1600&quality=75&webp=1"/> NATO 'Stands Able to Defend our Alliance' In a publish on X on October 9, NATO's Maritime Command posted two photos displaying a French frigate monitoring what seems to be a Russian submarine.

"A French Navy frigate conducts surveillance of the Alliance’s maritime approaches, marking the presence of a Russian submarine working on the floor off the coast of Brittany.