RUSSIAN ANTI-SUB SHIP INTERCEPTS USS MCCAIN

The anti-submarine ship Admiral Vinogradov of the Russian Pacific Fleet intercepted the destroyer USS John McCain as it encroached two kilometers into Russian territorial waters.

In a report, Prensa Latina said the Admiral Vinogradov communicated with the US warship and warned that it must leave the Peter the Great Gulf in the Russian Far East since it had entered Russian waters without permission.

The Russian defense ministry said the USS John McCain was taking its sweet time sailing into Russian territory and thought it could invoke “innocent passage” to justify its foray.

The Russian ship, tasked with following up on the U.S. destroyer, warned the intruder through international communication channels that it might be compelled to chase the ship and ram it to stop its violation of Russian territorial waters. The USS John McCain, which had been sailing in the Sea of Japan for several days, immediately changed course and left the area.