Russia accuses US of trying to violate its territorial waters

Russia said on Friday that a US naval destroyer attempted to violate Russian territorial waters as Russian-Chinese naval drills took place in the Sea of Japan. Russia claimed that one of its military vessels chased the US destroyer away. There was no immediate comment from the US.

The Russian defense ministry said the crew of a Russian anti-submarine vessel, the Admiral Tributs, had radioed a warning to the USS Chafee that it was "in an area closed to navigation due to exercises with artillery fire."

Russian defence ministry said in its statement that the US destroyer failed to change course and instead raised a flag to indicate that it was preparing to launch helicopter from its deck,  meaning it was unable to change course and speed

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"Acting within the framework of the international rules of navigation, the Admiral Tributs set a course for ousting the intruder from Russian territorial waters," it said.

The Chafee eventually changed course when the two vessels were less than 60 meters apart, it said.

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The ministry said that incident lasted for about 50 minutes and took place in Peter the Great Bay, which lies south of Vladivostok in the west of the Sea of Japan.

It was the second time in four months Russia has said it chased a NATO-member warship from its waters. In June, Russia accused a British destroyer, the Defender, of breaching its territorial waters in the Black Sea, and said it had forced the ship away with warning shots and dropped bombs in its path.

Britain rejected Moscow's account of the incident, which took place off Crimea, part of Ukraine which Russia annexed in 2014 in a move not recognized internationally. London said at the time its ship was operating lawfully in Ukrainian waters.

(With inputs from agencies)