US denies conducting military ops in Russian waters
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MOSCOW/WASHINGTON • The United States on Saturday denied that it had carried out military operations in Russian territorial waters, after Moscow said a Russian naval vessel chased away a US submarine in Russian waters in the Pacific.
Russia accused Washington of breaking international law and creating a national security threat over the incident at a time of high tensions over a Russian military build-up near Ukraine.
Interfax news agency cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying that the submarine was spotted near the Kuril Islands early on Saturday as Russia was conducting naval exercises with its Pacific Fleet.
The US vessel was ordered to surface but the order was ignored by its crew, leading Russian frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov to take unspecified action to make it leave, the ministry was quoted as saying.
"The US submarine... left Russian territorial waters at maximum speed," it said.
US military spokesman Kyle Raines said in a statement: "There is no truth to the Russian claims of our operations in their territorial waters."
He added: "I will not comment on the precise location of our submarines, but we do fly, sail, and operate safely in international waters."
It is common for the US to monitor military activity being carried out by other countries without having to enter their territorial waters.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it had called in the US defence attache over the incident.
The alleged incident took place near the Kuril island of Urup, which is controlled by Russia.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
