Overview

• NATO Maritime Command said a French frigate observed a Russian submarine operating on the surface off Brittany and published photos with a message stressing vigilance.
• Defense reporting identified the boat as the diesel-electric Noworossiysk, though NATO’s post did not name the vessel.
• Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, via state media, denied any malfunction or emergency surfacing and described the movement as a routine transfer complying with Channel navigation rules.
• The Dutch Defence Ministry reported escorting the Noworossiysk and the tug Yakov Grebelsky in the North Sea as a precaution.
• Claims from a Telegram channel of a serious fuel or motor defect remain unverified, while political and intelligence voices, including the BND chief and NATO’s secretary-general, frame the episode within rising tension with Russia.