Russian submarine Novorossiysk is suffering from a severe technical issue and is leaking fuel in its hold, according to reports (Picture: east2west news)

A Russian navy sub is at risk of explosion in European waters amid a serious fuel leak onboard, according to reports.

The 242ft Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk, which is capable of carrying Kalibr missiles, is suffering from a serious technical problem.

The vessel was spotted yesterday in the Strait of Gibraltar off the Mediterranean Sea.

Now a Telegram post by the Russian channel VChk-OGPU claimed that the submarine has no spare parts for repairs or a qualified specialist crew to fix the issue.

Royal Navy helicopters monitoring Novorossiysk as it sailed through the North Sea and English Channel in early July (Picture: Royal Navy; e2w news)

With fuel accumulating in the hold, the crew may have no choice but to pump it into the sea, it added.

Part of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, Novorossiysk is not thought to be involved in the war with Ukraine, the Sun reported.

Earlier this year, Royal Navy helicopters and a warship tracked the submarine as it sailed west through UK waters in the North Sea and English Channel.

Powerful sensors and systems were used to trace the underwater vessel’s every move.

Lieutenant Commander Dan Wardle said the operation was to safeguard the UK’s ‘maritime interests.’

‘Monitoring the transit of naval vessels through our area of responsibility remains a fundamental task, one that ensures we maintain situational awareness and the ability to respond swiftly when required’, he said.

Another submarine in the same fleet, the Rostov-na-Donu was struck by a Ukrainian missile in September 2023, extensively damaging it beyond repair.

It would not be the first time a Russian vessel has experienced a failure at sea.

In August 2000, the nuclear submarine K-141 Kursk sank in the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean after a catastrophic explosion, killing all 118 people on board.

The disaster was worsened by the fact that no search was launched for the vessel for six hours.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Arrow MORE: ‘Drones are taking Putin’s grey zone war into the heart of Europe’s civilian airspace’

Arrow MORE: US fighter jets intercept Russian bombers off Alaska’s coast

Arrow MORE: ‘Nato and EU have declared war on Russia,’ says Kremlin’s foreign minister

Comment now Comments News Updates

Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.