The US Navy destroyer Chafee approached the Russian state border on Friday and tried to cross it. The Russian Navy ship stopped the attempt, according to the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defence.
“Today, October 15, at about 5 pm local time, the US Navy destroyer Chafee (DDG 90), which has been operating in the waters of the Sea of Japan for several days, approached the territorial waters of the Russian Federation and attempted to cross the state border,” the press service reported.
According to the Ministry, the Admiral Tributs BOD warned the foreign ship about the inadmissibility of such actions and that it was in an area closed to navigation due to artillery firing as part of the Russian-Chinese exercises “Joint Sea 2021”.
“After receiving the warning, the destroyer Chafee, instead of changing course to leave the closed area, raised the flags of the colours indicating preparation for takeoff from the helicopter deck, which means that it is impossible to change course and speed, and took actions to violate the state border of the Russian Federation in Peter the Great Bay,” the military department said.
Thus, in accordance with the international rules of navigation, Admiral Tributs set a course to oust the violator from Russian territorial waters.
“The destroyer GMW Chafee convinced of the determination of the crew of the Russian ship not to allow violation of the state border, changed direction and at 5.50 pm turned back on its course when less than 60 m remained to the Admiral Tributs BOD,” the Russian military reported.
These actions are considered a gross violation of the International Rules for Preventing Collisions at Sea and the Russian-American intergovernmental agreement on the prevention of incidents on the high seas and in the airspace above it of 1972. Moreover, this was not the first attempt to illegally enter the Russian water territory.
On June 23, the Russian Defence Ministry announced the invasion of the British destroyer Defender into the territorial waters of the Russian Federation near Cape Fiolent in Crimea. The Russian military and border guards opened warning fire on the course of its movement, after which the ship left the borders of the territorial sea of the Russian Federation. This was announced by the country’s President, Vladimir Putin, a complex provocation, which “was carried out not only by the British but also by the Americans” with the reconnaissance purposes.
Ru-Main, 15.10.2021
Source: TASS
