Russia says it pushed US destroyer from area near its waters
ABC News
Russia’s Defense Ministry says a Russian warship has prevented a U.S. Navy destroyer from what it described as an attempt to intrude into Russian territorial waters in the Sea of Japan
MOSCOW -- Russia’s Defense Ministry said a Russian warship on Friday prevented a U.S. Navy destroyer from what it described as an attempt to intrude into Russia’s territorial waters in the Sea of Japan.
Hours later, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command called the Russian statement false and said the ships' interaction was “safe and professional.”
The incident came as Russia and China conducted joint naval drills in the area, and followed other dangerously close encounters involving Russian and Western warships. It appears to reflect Moscow’s intention to raise the stakes in deterring the U.S. and its allies from sending their ships on missions near Russian waters, as relations between Russia and the West are at a post-Cold War low.
The ministry said the Russian navy’s Admiral Tributs destroyer closely approached the U.S. destroyer USS Chafee to chase it out of the area near Russian waters that was declared off limits to shipping due to the gunnery drills there as part of the Russia-China maneuvers.
