{"id":41150,"date":"2020-01-10T19:14:13","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T19:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/10\/russian-navy-ship-aggressively-approached-us-warship\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:45:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:45:31","slug":"russian-navy-ship-aggressively-approached-us-warship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/01\/10\/russian-navy-ship-aggressively-approached-us-warship\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian navy ship \u2018aggressively approached\u2019 US warship"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The destroyer Farragut had a close run-in with a Russian vessel in the North Arabian Sea while on operations in the area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

The warship Farragut<\/a> was \u201caggressively approached\u201d by a Russian naval ship Thursday in the North Arabian Sea, U.S. 5th Fleet<\/a> officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American guided-missile destroyer was conducting routine operations at the time of the approach, according to a statement from the Bahrain-based command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFarragut sounded five short blasts, the international maritime signal for danger of a collision, and requested the Russian ship alter course in accordance with international rules of the road,\u201d according to the command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian vessel \u201cinitially refused\u201d but ultimately altered its course and the two ships opened distance from each other, 5th Fleet said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile the Russian ship took action, the initial delay in complying with international rules while it was making an aggressive approach increased the risk of collision,\u201d the command said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifth fleet posted two videos to social media Friday showing the encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One minute-long clip shows Farragut soundings its five blasts and the Russian ship continuing to close in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other footage shows the Russian ship closing in on the rear of Farragut from the starboard side and then crossing behind the U.S. vessel to port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It remains unclear whether that second clip occurred before or after the footage showing Farragut sounding five short blasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe U.S. Navy continues to remain vigilant and is trained to act in a professional manner,\u201d 5th Fleet said. \u201cWe continue to encourage vessels from all nations to operate in accordance with internationally recognized maritime laws, standards and norms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navy Times could not read a hull number on the Russian ship, but Kremlin news service Sputnik International identified it in a link to a larger story as SSV-175 Viktor Leonov<\/a>, a Vishnya-class intelligence gathering vessel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the footage recorded by the Farragut shows a vessel that more resembles one of the two Yury Ivanov (Project 18280)-class<\/a> spy ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sputnik International reported<\/a> that the Russian Defence Ministry dismissed as \u201cuntrue\u201d U.S. 5th Fleet\u2019s claim that the Russian spy ship \u201caggressively approached\u201d the destroyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Russian version of events, Farragut crossed the Russian vessel\u2019s set court, acting in an \u201cunprofessional manner\u201d in a \u201cdeliberate violation of maritime safety rules,\u201d which forced the Russian crew to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was the US destroyer that blatantly violated international rules for preventing collisions at sea on 9 January 2020 by making a manoeuvre to cross the Russian ship\u2019s course, while being positioned to the left of the forward-moving Russian military vessel,\u201d the ministry\u2019s statement reads, according to Sputnik International.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sputnik International argued that global rules for preventing collisions at sea mandate that when two ships are on a collision course, the one that has the other to its right must give way and let it pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\t