Russia today denied reports that one of its submarines experienced technical issues after surfacing off the coast of northern France.

NATO’s Maritime Command released photos on October 9 showing, according to its statement, a French Navy frigate observing a surfaced Russian submarine off the coast of Brittany.

“NATO stands ready to defend our Alliance and remains vigilant across the Atlantic,” it said on X (formerly Twitter), without naming the submarine.

We. Are. Watching. 👀
📍 Atlantic Ocean
⚓ A French Navy frigate 🇫🇷 conducts surveillance of the Alliance’s maritime approaches, marking the presence of a Russian submarine 🇷🇺 operating on the surface off the coast of Brittany. NATO stands ready to defend our Alliance with… pic.twitter.com/SeTh3Ij7NN

— NATO Maritime Command (@NATO_MARCOM) October 9, 2025

VChK-OGPU, a shadowy Telegram channel known for leaking alleged information about Russian security matters, had reported last month that the diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk was suffering from serious technical problems, including a fuel leak into its cargo area.

However, Russian state media today published a statement from the Black Sea Fleet denying that the Novorossiysk surfaced due to a technical malfunction.

According to the statement, the submarine had completed its mission in the Mediterranean and was surfacing in accordance with international maritime navigation rules while transiting the English Channel as part of a scheduled operation.

Russia’s state news agency TASS reported that the vessel, commissioned in 2014, is part of a fleet of submarines equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles.