The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has published footage of the invasion of the American destroyer "John McCain" into the territorial waters of Russia in the Sea of Japan. According to the ministry, the ship violated the border in the south of the Primorsky Territory. At the same time, representatives of the US Naval Forces (Navy) stated that the destroyer was conducting an operation to ensure freedom of navigation in the Peter the Great Bay area, without violating international rights.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the American destroyer moved along the Russian territorial waters in the Sea of Japan for several days. On November 24, he entered the Peter the Great Gulf and crossed the line of the Russian maritime border for two kilometers.
The Russian anti-submarine ship "Admiral Vinogradov" warned the Americans about the inadmissibility of such actions and the possibility of using a ramming maneuver. After receiving a warning, "John McCain" went out into neutral waters. The US Navy destroyer did not make repeated attempts to enter them, the Russian ministry emphasized.
Later, the command of the Seventh Fleet of the US Navy announced that "John McCain" was conducting an operation to ensure freedom of navigation in the Peter the Great Bay area, without violating international rights. It was noted that the territory into which the ship went deep is not the zone of the territorial waters of the Russian Federation.
"On November 24, the US Navy destroyer John McCain acted within the framework of the right to free navigation in the Peter the Great Gulf of the Sea of Japan."- responded the command of the Seventh Fleet of the United States Navy.
The American destroyer is named after Admirals John McCain Jr. (1911-1981) and John McCain Sr. (1884-1945). The ship was sponsored by Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Senator John McCain (son and grandson of admirals).
The ship was launched on September 26, 1992. Since 1997, the destroyer has been based in Yokosuka (Japan) and is part of the US Seventh Fleet. In 2003-2004 he was in the Persian Gulf and participated in the hostilities of the US-led coalition against Iraq. Full displacement - nine thousand tons, length - 154 meters, height - 20 meters. Crew - 281 people.
