USA Accuses Russia Of Fake News For Claiming Their Navy Thwarted American Attempt To Violate Borders
The United States has responded to Russian claims that its Navy thwarted an American attempt to violate its borders and labelled them as “false”.
Russia has claimed that its Navy thwarted an American attempt to violate its borders as can allegedly be seen in this footage which has notched up nearly 70,000 views since the Russian Ministry of Defence shared it online on 15th October.
The footage, which was shot from a Russian vessel, appears to show a US Navy destroyer sailing alongside a Russian vessel.
At the rear of the vessel, a helicopter is seen on a landing pad with its rotors on. Footage then shows the American vessel from a distance as it appears to change course.
The footage was shared online by the Russian Ministry of Defence who said: “Today, 15th October, at 17.00 local time, the US Navy destroyer Chafee (DDG 90), which has been operating in the Sea of Japan for several days, approached the Russian Federation’s territorial waters and attempted to cross the state border.
“The Russian destroyer ‘Admiral Tributs’ set a course to expel the offender from Russian territorial waters.”
The Admiral Tributs is a Project 1155 Large Anti-Submarine Ship, also known as an Udaloy-class destroyer. It was named after Vladimir Filippovich Tributs and it was launched in 1983.
The Russian statement continued: “BOD ‘Admiral Tributs’ attempted to drive the intruder out of Russian territorial waters in accordance with international navigation rules.
“The destroyer URO Chafee, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer named after Senator John Lester Hubbard Chafee, persuaded by the Russian ship’s crew’s decision not to cross the state border, changed course and returned to the previous course at 17:50, when Admiral Tributs was less than 60 metres away.
“The actions of the crew of the destroyer of the US Navy ‘Chafee’ represent a flagrant violation of the International Rules for the prevention of collisions at sea and the Russian-American intergovernmental agreement on the prevention of incidents in the high seas and in the airspace above it in 1972.”
However, the Public Affairs department for the US Pacific Fleet, writing from their offices in Pearl Harbor, has vigorously denied the claims.
In a statement published on their website, they said: “The statement from the Russian Defence Ministry about the interaction between our two Navy ships is false.
“The statement from the Russian Defence Ministry about the interaction between our two Navy ships is false. 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.
“The interaction was safe and professional. 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. At all times, USS Chafee conducted operations in accordance with international law and custom. The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate where international law allows.”