Russian jet made multiple, close passes near US warship in Black Sea

AP- AFP

US warship USS Donald Cook passed the Bosphorus Strait on April 10 to enter the Black Sea. Photo: Anadolu Agency

A Russian fighter jet made multiple, close-range passes near an American warship in the Black Sea for more than 90 minutes Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region, a U.S. military official said April 14.

In the first public account of the incident, the official said the Russian Fencer flew within 1,000 yards of the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, at about 500 feet above sea level. Ship commanders considered the actions provocative and inconsistent with international agreements, prompting the ship to issue several radio queries and warnings.

The fighter appeared to be unarmed and never was in danger of coming in contact with the ship, said the official, who was not authorized to talk publicly by name about the encounter so spoke on condition of anonymity. The passes, which occurred in the early evening there, ended without incident.

The official also said that a Russian Navy ship, a frigate, has been shadowing the U.S. warship, remaining within visual distance but not close enough to be unsafe. The USS Donald Cook has been conducting routine operations in international waters east of Romania.

The ship, which carries helicopters, was deployed to the Black Sea on April 10, in the wake of the Russian military takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region and ongoing unrest there. Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov called for the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping troops in the east of the country, where pro-Russian insurgents have occupied buildings in nearly 10 cities.

The gunmen are demanding more autonomy from the central government and closer ties with Russia. The West has accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest. And European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg Monday to consider additional sanctions against Russian officials because of Moscow's annexation of Crimea.

NATO's 'continued presence'

Meanwhile, Romanian President Traian Basescu toured a US warship stationed at the Black Sea port of Constanta on April 14, thanking the country’s NATO allies for their "solidarity" in the face of Russia’s actions in neighbouring Ukraine.

Basescu visited the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, stationed in Constanta along with French reconnaissance ship Dupuy de Lome after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis. The standoff has seen Russia annex the strategic Crimean peninsula halfway across the Black Sea from Constanta, putting neighbouring countries on edge.

Romania has urged NATO to redeploy its forces in eastern Europe, voicing concern over a potential spread of the crisis. "The presence of US and French ships is intented as a message of stability for the region and shows NATO’s solidarity when security is threatened," Basescu said.

The US had previously sent another destroyer, the USS Truxtun, to the Black Sea in March, when the crisis between Russia and Ukraine erupted. Basescu hailed NATO’s "continuous presence here aimed at reinforcing interoperability with the Romanian navy."