Incident Video: U.S. and Russia Warships Nearly Collide in East China Sea

The U.S. Navy cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), right, and Russian destroyer Udaloy I (DD 572), left, closing to approximately 50-100 feet, June 7, 2019, in the East China Sea. U.S. Navy Photo

By Andrew Osborn and Tim Kelly

MOSCOW/TOKYO, June 7 (Reuters) – Russia and the United States blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in East Asian waters on Friday with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Washington would lodge a formal diplomatic protest to Russia, while a senior Russian parliamentarian said such episodes could easily escalate tensions, which he said were already balanced “on a razor’s edge.”

Russia’s Pacific Fleet said that the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, had come within just 50 meters (165 feet) of the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov which was forced to take emergency action to avoid a collision, Russian news agencies reported.

They cited a Russian Pacific Fleet statement as saying the incident took place in the early hours of Friday morning in the eastern part of the East China Sea at a time when a group of Russian warships was on a parallel course with a U.S. naval strike group.

“The U.S guided-missile cruiser Chancellorsville suddenly changed course and cut across the path of the destroyer Admiral Vinogradov coming within 50 meters of the ship,” the statement said.

“A protest over the international radio frequency was made to the commanders of the American ship who were warned about the unacceptable nature of such actions,” it said.

The U.S. Navy rejected that version of events, saying the behavior of the Russian ship had been “unsafe and unprofessional.”

“While operating in the Philippine Sea, a Russian Destroyer … made an unsafe maneuver against USS Chancellorsville,” U.S. Seventh Fleet spokesman Commander Clayton Doss said.

“This unsafe action forced Chancellorsville to execute all engines back full and to maneuver to avoid collision.”

He described a Russian assertion that the U.S. ship had acted dangerously as “propaganda.” The Russian destroyer came within 50 to 100 feet of the Chancellorsville, he said, putting the safety of its crew and the ship at risk.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Shanahan said Washington would formally protest.

“We’ll have military-to-military conversations with the Russians, and of course we’ll demarche them, but to me safety at the end of the day is the most important (part),” he told reporters outside the Pentagon.

“It will not deter us from conducting our operations.”

The incident comes days after Washington and Moscow sparred over an allegedly unsafe spy plane intercept by a Russian fighter jet near Syria.

Alexei Pushkov, a senior Russian parliamentarian, said the near naval miss and other incidents like it were dangerous.

“We’re balancing on a razor’s edge,” he wrote on social media. (Additional reporting by Maria Kiselyova in Moscow and by Phil Stewart in Washington Writing by Andrew Osborn Editing by Frances Kerry)(Additional reporting by Maria Kiselyova Editing by Frances Kerry) (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.

The incident was captured by video from the USS Chancellorsville and released by the U.S. Navy:

7th Fleet statement on “unsafe” maneuver by Russian destroyer:

PHILIPPINE SEA (NNS) — At approximately 11:45 am on June 7, 2019 while operating in the Philippine Sea, a Russian Destroyer (UDALOY I DD 572) made an unsafe maneuver against guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62), closing to approximately 50-100 feet putting the safety of her crew and ship at risk. 

While USS Chancellorsville was recovering its helicopter on a steady course and speed when the Russian ship DD572 maneuvered from behind and to the right of Chancellorsville accelerated and closed to an unsafe distance of approximately 50-100 feet.  This unsafe action forced USS Chancellorsville to execute all engines back full and to maneuver to avoid collision.  

We consider Russia’s actions during this interaction as unsafe and unprofessional and not in accordance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), “Rules of the Road,” and internationally recognized maritime customs.

Below are aerial photos released by the U.S. Navy showing how close the warships came to each other. The USS Chancellorsville is on the right:

Below is a statement from U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson posted to Twitter:

(1/3) The behavior by the Captain of the Russian destroyer in the Philippine Sea was irresponsible and reckless. This unwise maneuver, combined with the unsafe maneuvers by the Russian aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean earlier this…

— Adm. John Richardson (@CNORichardson) June 7, 2019