Russian sailors sunned on deck during incident with American guided-missile cruiser

The U.S. Navy has reported that a Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov (DD 572) made an unsafe and unprofessional approach against guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) in the Phillippine Sea, June 7th.

According to the statement, the incident occurred in the Philippine Sea. “While operating in the Philippine Sea, a Russian Destroyer (UDALOY I DD 572) [Project 1155] 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.”

Also, the U.S. Navy released footage showed appear to show Russian sailors were not too concerned about a close encounter with an American guided-missile cruiser.

A handful of sailors were casually sunbathing on the destroyer’s helipad, while the rest of the vessel seemed to be lifeless, as the crew was apparently doing its best to avoid the collision.

The U.S. Navy claims that while USS Chancellorsville was recovering its helicopter on a steady course and speed, 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,” the statement said.

The Russian military, for its part, accused the Chancellorsville of making a dangerous maneuver by crossing the path of the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov.

It said in a statement that the U.S. cruiser “suddenly changed direction and crossed the path of Admiral Vinogradov just 50 meters (165 feet) away,” forcing the crew of the Russian ship to make a quick maneuver to avoid collision.