The Dutch Navy escorted a damaged Russian submarine, the Novorossiysk, and its supporting tugboat, the Yakov Grebelskiy, through the North Sea on Thursday, the Ministry of Defense reported. The submarine, suffering from a fuel leak, was forced to remain on the surface.
The vessel had been operating in the Mediterranean and was heading to a Northern or Baltic Sea port for repairs, as Russia cannot access ports in the Black Sea or Syria.
Once in Dutch waters, the hydrographic survey vessel Zr. Ms. Luymes, normally used for seabed mapping, took over escort duties from British forces. French, Belgian, and British naval forces had been tracking the submarine before responsibility passed to the Netherlands in its sector of the North Sea. The Belgian Navy confirmed that Dutch forces assumed control of the operation on Thursday.
The escort operation included support from an NH90 maritime combat helicopter and assistance from the Dutch Coast Guard.
Although international law allows a right of passage through the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone, the Netherlands escorts all Russian naval vessels. “The Netherlands shows vigilance and prevents Russian ships from sabotaging undersea infrastructure,” a Ministry of Defense spokesperson said.
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