Russia chases off US submarine from its far east waters, Moscow says

CenturyPost February 13, 2022

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GROTON, Conn. (July 30, 2004) ñ PCU Virginia (SSN-774), the nationís newest and most advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine and the lead ship of its class, returns to the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Conn., July 30, following the successful completion of its first voyage in open seas ñ called "alpha" sea trials. Virginia is the Navyís only major combatant ready to join the fleet that was designed with the post-Cold War security environment in mind and embodies the warfighting and operational capabilities required to dominate the littorals while maintaining undersea dominance in the open ocean. ìNuclear submarines provide a unique contribution to our nationís security and will be increasingly important in the decades ahead,î said Electric Boat President John Casey. ìThe Virginia and the rest of the ships of its class are designed specifically to incorporate emergent technologies that will provide new capabilities to meet new threats.î Virginia will be delivered to the U.S. Navy this fall. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. ..(Photo courtesy of General Dynamics Electric Boat Public Affairs)

A Russian naval vessel chased away a United States submarine in Russian waters in the Pacific after the submarine ignored a Russian order to surface, Interfax news agency cited the defence ministry as saying on Saturday.

The Russian ministry called in the US defence attache after complaining that the submarine had entered its waters, the RIA news agency reported. Tensions between Moscow and Washington are already high over a Russian military buildup near Ukraine.

The submarine was spotted near the Kuril islands early on Saturday as Russia was conducting naval exercises with its Pacific Fleet and it was ordered to surface immediately, the Russian ministry was quoted as saying.

It said the order was ignored by the U.S. submarine’s crew, leading the crew of Russia’s Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate to use unspecified “corresponding means” to make the vessel leave.

“The U.S. submarine … left Russian territorial waters at maximum speed,” the defence ministry was quoted as saying.

There was no immediate comment from the United States.

Russia’s defence minister spoke by phone with his U.S. counterpart on Saturday as the United States and other Western nations warned that war in Ukraine could ignite at any moment. U.S. President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin started a call later in the day.

Reuters