Overview

• NATO’s maritime command released photos on October 9 showing a French frigate observing the Novorossiysk operating on the surface off Brittany.
• Russia’s Black Sea Fleet denied any emergency, stating the submarine surfaced in the English Channel in line with international navigation rules during a scheduled inter‑fleet transit.
• Allied navies tracked the vessel from the Atlantic into northern waters, with the Dutch Defence Ministry reporting an escort of the submarine and the tug Yakov Grebelsky in the North Sea.
• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on October 13 described the submarine as “lone and broken” and said it was “limping home from patrol.”
• The Telegram channel VChK‑OGPU previously alleged serious technical faults, including a fuel leak, a claim that has not been verified by official sources.