Rutte trolls Moscow over “broken” submarine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte mocked Russia for the poor condition of one of its submarines. Meanwhile, Moscow denies that the vessel is malfunctioning.

Reuters reports.

Rutte mocks Russia's broken submarine

Russia said the Novorossiysk diesel submarine surfaced off the coast of France to learn the navigation rules of the English Channel. In doing so, Russia has denied reports of a malfunction. According to Moscow, the vessel was returning to Russia after completing a mission in the Mediterranean Sea.

However, Dutch authorities reported that the Novorossiysk was under tow in the North Sea. Mark Rutte then said in a speech in Slovenia that the boat had broken down.

"Now, in effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean left. There's a lone and broken Russian submarine limping home from patrol. What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel 'The Hunt for Red October'. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic," said the NATO Secretary General.

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