US warship faces aggressive moves by Russia ship in Mideast

WASHINGTON – An American warship was “aggressively approached” by a Russian Navy ship in the North Arabian Sea, the U.S. Navy said Friday.

Navy Cmdr. Josh Frey, spokesman for U.S. 5th Fleet, said that the USS Farragut was conducting routine operations Thursday and sounded five short blasts to warn the Russian ship of a possible collision. He said the USS Farragut, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, asked the Russian ship to change course and the ship initially refused but ultimately moved away.

Even though the Russian ship moved away, Frey said the delay in shifting course “increased the risk of collision.”

In response, a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry said that the U.S. ship “grossly violated the international rules for preventing collisions of ships at sea, having made a manoeuvr to cross its course.” The statement said the crew of the Russian warship acted professionally, and moved to prevent a collision with the U.S. ship.

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Associated Press writer James Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.