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US destroyer gets ‘dangerously’ close to Russian frigate: Moscow

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (Reuters)

Russia has released a video showing a US battleship getting too close to a Russian frigate in the Mediterranean Sea, a violation of international maritime safety regulations.

The USS Gravely came within the “dangerous” distance of 180 meters of the Yaroslav Mudry on June 17, said a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday.

The statement noted that the incident took place in international waters and that the Russian ship maintained her course and refrained from entering dangerous maneuvers with the US ship.

The Gravely is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer with the capability of being equipped with the Aegis missile system. The Yaroslav Mudry is a Neustrashimyy-class frigate which is in the service of the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet. 

The Gravely’s captain and crew directly violated the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), which state the manner of navigation of ships sailing in close proximity.

“The US sailors, in particular, neglected Rule 13, which stipulates that an overtaking vessel must keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken,” read the statement.

It further noted that, the US ship had violated rule 15, which states that a ship that has another vessel on its starboard side must yield and refrain from crossing ahead of her.

The statement also called on the Pentagon to pay attention to such incidents instead of accusing Russian forces of unprofessional conduct.     

“US sailors allow themselves to neglect key foundations of navigation safety without thinking of the consequences that dangerous maneuvering in a heavily trafficked maritime area might involve,” it said.

This photo released by the US Navy shows a Russian Su-24 jet flying within several feet of the USS Donald Cook, April 11, 2016.

In April, a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 jet performed a flyby over the USS Donald Cook destroyer in the Baltic Sea, prompting harsh reactions from US Secretary of State John Kerry who called the move “reckless” and “provocative,” saying the US had every right to shoot the planes down.

Following the incident, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman stressed that the plane’s crew had acted in a safe and correct manner.

“Having located the ship in a zone of visual sight, the pilots undertook a maneuver that was in accordance with all the necessary safety rules,” he said.


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