Moscow warns Holland of ‘grave consequences’ after its warships in the Mediterranean chase away Dutch submarine tailing Putin’s Syria-bound fleet
FURIOUS Russia has warned of "grave consequences" after chasing off a Nato submarine it claims was monitoring its aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean.
Russia has branded the alleged manoeuvre as being "clumsy" and "dangerous" and claims the Dutch sub had been following two of its anti-submarine vessels.
Vladimir Putin walks past one of the Russia's Vice-Admiral Kulakov warship
The Dutch submarine was spotted roughly 12 miles from the Severomorsk and the Vice-Admiral Kulakov by a Russian helicopter.
One of Putin's warships sent attack choppers to drive it off in a tracking effort that lasted more than an hour, Major General Igor Konashenkov said.
The Russian defence ministry said they "spotted a submarine from the Dutch navy which tried to approach the Northern's Fleet aircraft carrier group in the Mediterranean".
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They added: "The vessels followed its manoeuvres for more than an hour and forced it to leave the deployment area of the aircraft carrier's group.
"These clumsy attempts to carry out dangerous manoeuvres in the immediate proximity of a group of Russian vessels could have had grave navigational consequences."
The Dutch defence ministry is yet to comment on the allegations.
A Nato official has said the alliance's vessel's have been monitoring Russia's fleet in a "customary" way in recent weeks.
A flotilla of Russian ships recently had to be "man marked" by Royal Navy vessels as they travelled down the English Channel.
Putin's Russia has upped its naval presence in the Mediterranean as part of its intervention in the war in Syria.
The former Soviet country has an airbase in Hmeimim, just south of the Syrian city of Latakia, from where it conducts its air strikes in support of President Assad.
Nato has alleged Russian fighter jets regularly test the defences over Baltic states and they have had to make more than 600 "interceptions" this year.
Lieutenant Colonel Swen Jacob, the commander of German Nato pilots, said the planes often flew as close as 10 yards apart.
He claims on one occasion a Russian pilot gave him the finger.
Military chiefs have warned war with Russia is imminent if President-elect Donald Trump abandons Nato.
The 28 member state military alliance is preparing to put together a huge land force to deter growing Russian aggression.
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