The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Pacific Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs thwarted US destroyer Chaffee from its attempt to violate Russian territorial waters in the Sea of ​​Japan.

In its statement, the ministry mentioned that the Russian ship had warned Chaffe from entering its waters and that the area is inaccessible due to Russian-Chinese joint sea drills taking place from October 14th till the 17th.

However, the US destroyer “raised its colors implying that its helicopter was due to take off from its deck,” stated the Russian ministry.

The statement confirmed that the Russian ship set its course to chase the infiltrating US destroyer within the framework of international sea navigation policies.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday that it had summoned the US military attache in Moscow to protest the incident earlier in the day, when a Russian vessel had to warn off the US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the Peter the Great Bay near Vladivostok. 

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Chafee received a warning it was approaching a restricted area, but instead of changing course, “raised its colored flags to indicate preparation for a helicopter to take off from the deck, which means it is impossible to change course and speed, and took action to violate the state border of the Russian Federation in the Peter the Great Bay.” 

The anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs then approached the US destroyer to compel it to change course.

Moscow called the actions of the US destroyer “unprofessional” and a “crude violation” of international rules of avoiding collisions and a 1972 agreement with Washington on preventing incidents in the air and at sea.

The US Navy also denied wrongdoing, saying the destroyer was on a “freedom of navigation operation” to challenge “Russia’s excessive maritime claims.”

A similar incident happened in the same area in November 2020, when USS John S McCain was driven off after straying more than two kilometers inside Russia’s internationally recognized maritime border. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that anti-submarine ship Admiral Vinogradov had prevented the US destroyer John McCain from violating its territorial waters.