2019-06-07T132855Z_214497021_RC1873A05520_RTRMADP_3_USA-RUSSIA-NAVY-INCIDENT-(Read-Only)
A surveillance photo shows the Russian naval destroyer Udaloy making what the U.S. Navy describes as an unsafe maneuver against the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville in the Philippine Sea June 7, 2019. Image Credit: Reuters

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.”