Russia says prevented US destroyer entering its waters

The Russian Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs thwarted an attempt by a US guided missile destroyer to violate Russia’s state border in the Sea of Japan, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported on Friday.

“Today, at about 5:00 p.m. local time, the US Navy’s destroyer Chafee (DDG-90), which has been operating in the Sea of Japan for several days, approached the territorial waters of the Russian Federation and attempted to cross the state border,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs warned the foreign warship of the inadmissibility of such actions and that it was operating in an area closed for shipping due to artillery firings as part of the Russia-China Joint Sea 2021 naval maneuvers, the ministry specified.

“After getting the warning, instead of changing its course to leave the closed area, the destroyer Chafee raised its colors implying that its helicopter was due to take off from its deck, which meant that the course and the speed could not be changed, and took actions to violate the state border of the Russian Federation in the Peter the Great Bay,” the statement added.

Russia’s top brass branded the actions by the crew of the US guided missile destroyer a gross violation of the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea and the 1972 Russia-US inter-governmental agreement on preventing incidents at sea and in the airspace.

The Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs continues accomplishing its assignments in the Sea of Japan, it stated.

The Russian Defense Ministry has summoned the US military attache and pointed out the unprofessional actions of the crew of the US Navy’s destroyer, the military agency told journalists on Friday.

“The position of the Russian military agency was conveyed to the representative of the US armed forces in relation to the US Navy’s destroyer Chafee’s attempted violation of the state border of the Russian Federation in the area of the Peter the Great Bay on October 15,” the statement read.

As the Defense Ministry emphasized, the unprofessional actions of the American crew were pointed out to the military attache since they grossly violated the international regulations for preventing collisions at sea and the provisions of the Russia-US agreement on preventing incidents at sea and in airspace.

The US Navy’s guided missile destroyer Chafee conducted operations in the Sea of Japan in line with the international law during a reported incident on Friday with the Russian warship, the US Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Office said in a statement.

“Although Russia issued a Notice to Airman and Mariners (NOTAM/NOTMAR) in this area for later in the day, the NOTAM/NOTMAR was not in effect at the time of the interaction,” the statement reads. 

“At all times, USS Chafee conducted operations in accordance with international law and custom,” it added.

“The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate where international law allows,” according to the statement.

The press office of the US Pacific Fleet also stated that The Russian Defense Ministry’s statement regarding an incident with the US Navy’s guided missile destroyer Chafee was false.

“The statement from the Russian Defense Ministry about the interaction between our two Navy ships is false,” the statement reads. “While USS Chafee (DDG 90) was conducting routine operations in international water in the Sea of Japan on Oct. 15, 2021, a Russian Udaloy-class destroyer came within approximately 65 yards of USS Chafee (DDG 90) while the ship was preparing for flight operations,” it announced.

“The interaction was safe and professional,” according to the statement.