Russian warships chase away Nato submarine in Mediterranean
Moscow criticises 'clumsy' attempt to manoeuvre close to Russian warships, saying there could have been an accident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Russian warships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea drove away a Dutch submarine that had been shadowing the squadron, the military said.
Two Russian navy destroyers spotted the Walrus-class submarine on Wednesday while it was 20km away from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and its escorting ships, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said.
The destroyers had tracked the submarine for more than an hour, using anti-submarine helicopters, before forcing it to leave the area, General Konashenkov said. He did not elaborate on how the warships prompted the submarine to leave.
The spokesman added that such "clumsy" attempts to manoeuvre close to the Russian squadron could have resulted in an accident.
General Konashenkov said the Russian squadron had previously spotted several Nato submarines, including a US Virginia-class nuclear submarine, while en route to eastern Mediterranean waters.
A Nato official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to discuss the sensitive issue on the record, said the alliance's navies had been monitoring the Russian fleet in recent weeks in a "measured and responsible way, as is customary".
He refused to elaborate on how Nato was doing that.
In a tweet, the Dutch Defense Ministry said it did not comment on operations conducted by its submarines.
The Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier is being accompanied by the nuclear-powered Peter the Great missile cruiser and several other ships on a mission to Syria's shores, the Russian navy's largest deployment since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Nato has expressed concern, saying the move could presage an increase in the number of Russian air raids in Syria, particularly around the besieged city of Aleppo.
AP
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments