A Russian submarine with nuclear capability has reportedly suffered a “serious accident” in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Novorossiysk, a 242ft Kilo-class submarine, is said to have surfaced above the Strait of Gibraltar yesterday (Friday).
According to Russian Telegram channel VChk-OGPU, fuel is now building up in the hold, creating a risk of explosion. The channel, which is known to have contacts within Russian intelligence, told its 330,000 subscribers that crew members may be forced to pump the fuel directly into the sea.
VChk-OGPU reported: “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. There are no spare parts for repairs or qualified specialists on the submarine, and the crew is unable to fix the malfunctions.
“The serious accident has caused other problems as well. 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 situation has drawn comparisons to the Kursk submarine disaster on August 12, 2000, when the Russian Oscar II submarine exploded in the Barents Sea during its first major naval exercise in a decade.
That explosion was linked to leaked hydrogen peroxide colliding with a catalyst, which caused the failure of a Type 65-76A torpedo in the forward torpedo room. A second blast then ripped through the vessel, sinking the submarine and killing all 118 crew members on board.
Launched in August 2014, The Novorossiyisk is part of Russia's Black Sea fleet but it not thought to have been used in the invasion against Ukraine.
The diesel-electric attack submarine can stay underwater for 45 days and is manned by a crew of 52 people, and it also has capacity to carry nuclear Kalibr missiles.
The vessel's sister submarine Rostov-on-Don was reportedly sank by Ukraine in August last year; and the Royal Navy has monitored the Novorossiyisk since it appeared in the English Channel in January.
Defence Secretary John Healey told Parliament yesterday that a Royal Navy nuclear submarine was forced to surface next to The Novorossiyisk in November last year in order to ward it off.
