A Russian nuclear-powered submarine has been forced to surface in the Strait of Gibraltar after suffering a serious leak in its fuel system, with the vessel becoming an explosive hazard
International naval forces have been put on high alert following a ‘serious accident’ involving a Russian nuclear submarine, which was compelled to surface near UK waters over the weekend.
Further details have come to light about the incident in the Strait of Gibraltar, where the 74-metre missile-laden Novorossiysk became an “explosive hazard” after suffering a significant leak in its fuel system. Russian Telegram channels painted a grim picture of the situation on board as the stealth sub’s hull filled with diesel.
Despite the critical nature of the diesel-electric powered ship’s fuel delivery system, military bloggers alleged that no one on board had the training to rectify the problem and that there were no spare parts available. With the potentially nuclear-armed sub at risk of exploding in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, concerns were raised that the crew might start discharging diesel into the Mediterranean.
While the Russian Navy has yet to confirm the incident, open source ship-tracking software and eyewitnesses on the ground have observed a concerted effort from various military powers to keep tabs on the struggling submarine, which has moved west towards the Atlantic in the days since it was forced to surface.
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A sailor on the submarine informed Russian military bloggers: “Novorossiysk, currently on combat duty in the Mediterranean Sea, is experiencing serious technical problems. Due to damage in the fuel system, fuel is leaking directly into the hold.”
They added: “The accumulated fuel in the hold is an explosive hazard. The source believes the crew has no choice but to start ‘pumping out the hold’ directly into the sea.”
The massive Kilo-class Novorossiysk submarine boasts an arsenal of six torpedoes, with 12 reloads, and can fire supersonic, nuclear-capable, cruise missiles.
It was also spotted travelling near Britain earlier this year, with the Royal Navy shepherding the submarine out of the English Channel in January as it made its way to the North Sea.
Most recently, it was observed operating in the Mediterranean for several weeks, working alongside the Russian tug Jakob Grebelsky, according to Olive Press reports.
Following this critical malfunction, this same tug has been monitored heading west off Portugal’s Algarve, indicating that the Novorossiysk is also making its way to the Atlantic.
With fears that the submarine could detonate, two French warships were spotted sailing into the region to shadow the crippled sub.
A Spanish frigate was also monitored patrolling in the area, with flight radars detecting multiple NATO aircraft taking to the skies over the Strait of Gibraltar following the incident.
The waters around Gibraltar are amongst the most closely-monitored in the world, serving as the bottleneck for all Mediterranean shipping traffic, with NATO and the Spanish Navy keeping watch on all vessels that pass through the strait. Earlier this month, these same forces monitored a Russian intelligence-gathering ship, the Viktor Leonov, as it navigated the narrow passage between North Africa and Southern Europe.
While such military movements are commonplace, they have become increasingly significant for the Kremlin, whose Black Sea fleet has been hamstrung by Turkey’s decision to shut the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits following the Ukraine conflict.
This move effectively blocks the fleet’s access to the Mediterranean and broader international waters, increasing Russia’s dependence on submarines like the Novorossiysk for its global operations.