Russia accuses U.S. of dangerous encounter with warship

A U.S. destroyer moved dangerously close to a Russian warship in the Mediterranean, violating international and bilateral agreements, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

"On June 17, U.S. guided missile destroyer Gravely made a close encounter with a Russian frigate Yaroslav Mudry in the eastern Mediterranean at a distance of 60-70 meters on the port side and crossed its course at the bow (of the Russian ship) at a dangerous distance of 180 meters," the ministry said in a statement.

It said the Russian warship was sailing in international waters, maintaining constant course and speed without any dangerous maneuver towards the U.S. ship.

The ministry accused the U.S. destroyer's commander and crew of a "gross violation" of International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and a Russia-U.S. intergovernmental agreement on avoiding incidents at sea signed in 1972.

"This incident shows that U.S. naval sailors allow themselves to forget about the fundamental principles of navigation security and give no thought to the consequences of such dangerous maneuvers in areas with heavy sea traffic," the ministry said.

The Russian side in April refuted media reports about dangerous maneuvers by Russian aircraft when encountering U.S. warships and military aircraft.

The Russian Defense Ministry then denied its acts were aggressive and insisted all flights were held in accordance with international law. Endi