Russia and the US blame each other for incident in the Mediterranean Sea
The American and Russia navies have accused each other of performing unsafe maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea. The incident involved the USS Gravely and a Russian Neustrashimyy-class frigate, the Yaroslav Mudry, Reuters reported.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the commander and crew of the USS Gravely were in “gross violation” of international maritime agreements. The MoD stated that the USS Gravely approached the Yaroslav Mudry at a distance of 60-70 meters on the port side and crossed in front of it.
The Yaroslav Mudry "followed a constant course in international waters… and did not engage in dangerous maneuvers against the US ship,” the Russian Ministry added.
A US Defense official, however, said the Russian warship had carried out "unsafe and unprofessional" operations near two US Navy ships.
"As the Gravely changed course and speed, the Neustrashimyy also changed course and speed. The maneuvering demonstrates that the Neustrashimyy was not in fact restricted in her ability to maneuver, and was thus intentionally displaying a false international signal," the US official stated.
Tuesday’s episode is the latest in a series of incidents between Russia and the US that are reminiscent of the Cold War. In April, Russian Su-24 bombers buzzed the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea, and Russian pilots performed barrel roles over US aircraft on two separate occasions the same month.