US Navy says Russian warship nearly collided with its cruiser

TOKYO: The US Navy has accused a Russian warship of unsafe and unprofessional actions after it came within 30 meters of an American guided-missile cruiser in the Philippine Sea.

The US 7th Fleet says the manoeuvre by the Russian Udaloy-class destroyer on Friday put the safety of the USS Chancellorsville and its crew at risk.

It says in a statement that the Chancellorsville was recovering a helicopter and travelling on a steady course when the Russian destroyer, travelling behind the US ship, speeded up and approached as close as 15-30 meters. It said the Chancellorsville was forced to reverse all engines at full throttle to avoid a collision.

The 7th Fleet, based in Japan, says it considers the Russian actions to be “unsafe and unprofessional.”