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Destroyer "USS Chafee" (archive image)
Photo: HOANG DINH NAM / AFP
Russia has denounced the attempted intrusion of a US Navy warship into its territorial waters in the Sea of Japan.
The destroyer "USS Chafee" ignored a warning from the Russian Navy on Friday afternoon, announced the Ministry of Defense in Moscow.
It published a video that showed the US destroyer not far from the Russian naval ship "Admiral Tributs".
The US side had been warned by radio and the ship was pushed away, it said.
"As part of international shipping rules, the Admiral Tributs took a course to drive the intruder out of Russian territorial waters," declared the Defense Ministry.
The "USS Chafee" finally turned when it was less than 60 meters away from the Russian ship.
The US Navy rejected this description of the events as "false".
Your ship "carried out routine operations in international waters in the Sea of Japan" when a Russian destroyer of the "USS Chafee" approached within about 65 meters.
"The interaction was safe and professional," said the Navy.
"In accordance with international law"
According to the report, Russia had informed the US that maneuvers were being carried out in the area, but the notice "was not in force at the time of the interaction".
In any case, the US ship "operated in accordance with international law and custom".
The US military will continue to "fly, navigate and operate where international law allows".
Relations between Russia and the United States are tense.
Both countries are currently holding talks on nuclear arms control.
Incidents with the Russian Navy in the Pacific are rare.
China is particularly active in the region, and Beijing has recently reacted with increasing anger about passages and maneuvers by the USA and its allies.
Russia and China are holding joint sea maneuvers in the area these days.
wit / AFP / dpa
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