Moscow Accused a US Warship of Unsafe Encounter in Russian Waters the US Navy Denied it Vehemently
(Photo : TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)

Moscow reportedly chased away a US warship in an encounter during exercises held in Russian waters. Maritime law dictates that ships can operate safely in international waters but must keep a safe distance from ongoing activities, which Russia claims the US violated.

Furious complaints by the Kremlin in which the US Navy missile destroyer USS Chafee had been ejected after closely monitored until it was out of territorial seas. It is rare for naval ships to report such encounters, which are inherently dangerous, resulting in collisions.

Official statement

The encounter led the defense ministry to an official statement that condemned the US for not abiding by international laws that kept naval encounters safe. Due to the breaching actions of the destroyer, which Washington contended had not disregarded safe under maritime conventions, reported the Express UK. All naval forces are expected to be safe and professional at all times.

Last Friday, both Russian and Chinese navies were in training exercises to improve the interoperability of both forces. At this point, the Admiral Tributs, Russia's anti-submarine warfare specialist, detected the USS Chafee close to its operating zone, which then gave out a radio warning, noted Reuters.

The Russian defense ministry stated that the US warship had breached an area subject to artillery fire and closed from all ships. Sources say the US warship claimed that it was in the process of launching a helicopter from the deck.

At this time, officials explained that the ship could not turn and alter the speed, per the protocol. It then raised flags to signal to take off any time. Moscow accused a US Warship of an unsafe encounter at this crucial breach.

Read Also: British Warship Denies That It Was Fired Upon by Russian Military Assets While in The Black Sea

Details from an official source

According to Army General Sergey Shoygu, who issued a statement concerning the USS Chafee's unsafe conduct, the destroyer followed a course that abided by the international rules of navigation, cited the Swift Headline.

At one point, both ships had reached an unsafe threshold of fewer than 60 meters away, which said Moscow was irresponsible on the actions of the US. It took 50 minutes for the Russian fleet to kick out the US warship that entered Peter the Great Bay in the western Sea of Japan.

A report by the RIA news agency remarked the defense ministry of Russia called the US military attaché and said the USS Chafee was unprofessional that led to a close encounter that could have ended in two naval ships colliding at sea.

The counter-statement contradicted Admiral Tributs complaint of not complying with international law. USS Chafee was on routine operations in the Sea of Japan, and it was safe and professional too. They added the complaint against the US warship was inaccurate. Furthermore, despite Russian claims which indicated a law operation, nothing illegal was committed.

Kremlin Pushback on the US

This time Moscow is serious in questioning why the Biden administration and its allies intend to breach Russian waters as if part of its South China Sea dilemma pushing a new cold war.

In June, the HMS Defender, with the help of a US recon plane, went into the Crimean territory, close to Sevastopol. But the UK denied the incident.

Related Article: Allies Provoking Russia? Vladimir Putin Says He Could Sink HMS Defender While US Recon Plane Monitors Its Progress