The US Navy’s 7th Fleet, which patrols the Pacific, said the Russian destroyer’s crew had navigated unsafely and forced the US warship into an avoidance maneuver. “The US cruiser Chancellorsville suddenly changed its course and crossed the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer’s course some 50 meters away from the ship,” the press service said, according to Tass. Also visible, however, were what appeared to be sunbathing Russian sailors on deck of the Admiral Vinogradov, which suggests the Russian vessel was not on high alert at the time and was not engaged in a planned provocation. Relations have grown increasingly rocky because of anger in the United States over Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election, its annexation of Crimea and its influence in the conflicts in Syria and Venezuela. “While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible,” the Navy said in the statement.

Source: bd News24 June 08, 2019 05:37 UTC