Russia prevents U.S. destroyer from violating territorial waters in Sea of Japan

MOSCOW — A Russian anti-submarine ship tracked down a U.S. naval destroyer and prevented the foreign vessel from violating Russia’s territorial waters in the Sea of Japan on Friday, Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda broadcasting service said in a statement.

The destroyer USS Chafee approached Russia’s territorial waters and attempted to cross the state border after operating in the Sea of Japan for several days, Zvezda reported.

Russia’s anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs tracked down the foreign warship, issued a warning notifying the destroyer about the inadmissibility of such actions, and had to drive the intruder from the territorial waters when the U.S. warship didn’t change its course following the warning.

The U.S. vessel changed direction and turned back later when the Russian warship was less than 60 meters away.

The U.S. destroyer’s actions were a gross violation of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea as well as the 1972 Soviet-U.S. Agreement on the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas, Zvezda added.

The Russian Defense Ministry later summoned the Defense Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow over the violation of the Russian state border by the U.S. destroyer.