The U.S. Navy released footage this morning of a near collision between two U.S. and Russian Navy warships.
USS Chancellorsville was forced to maneuver in order to avoid colliding with the Russian destroyer Udaloy I in the Pacific ocean early this morning.
"A Russian destroyer .... made an unsafe maneuver against USS Chancellorsville, closing to 50-100 feet, putting the safety of her crew and ship at risk," US Navy spokesman Cmdr. Clayton Doss told CNN in a statement. "This unsafe action forced Chancellorsville to execute all engines back full and to maneuver to avoid collision...We consider Russia's actions during this interaction as unsafe and unprofessional."
Acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan tweeted that the actions of the crew of the Russian destroyer were "reckless and a violation of international norms."
1 of 2: The actions by the crew of the Russian destroyer in the Philippine Sea were reckless and a violation of international norms. Our highly disciplined crew followed proper protocol and avoided what could have been a devastating collision.
— Archive: Acting SecDef Pat Shanahan (@ActingSecDef) June 7, 2019
2 of 2: Our servicemembers will continue to abide by established rules, regulations and nautical norms. We will not allow this type of behavior by any nation to deter us and our allies from free and open use of the seas.
— Archive: Acting SecDef Pat Shanahan (@ActingSecDef) June 7, 2019
According to CNN, the U.S.'s account of the incident was contradicted by Russia's Pacific Fleet — they claim the U.S. warship instigated.
Want to get more connected to the great stories and resources Connecting Vets has to offer? Click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
