MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The russian ship was following its course and didn't violate any international law standards:
"US destroyer Gravely made a close encounter with a Russian warship in the eastern Mediterranean on June 17 at a distance of 60-70 meters [197-229 feet] on the port side and crossed the Yaroslav Mudry’s course along the bow at a dangerous distance of 180 meters [590 feet]," the ministry said.
It brought to the Pentagon's attention the "gross violation by the Gravely destroyer's commander and crew" of International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea and a similar Russian-US intergovernmental agreement.
On June 1, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was sent from the US east coast to support the USS Harry Truman in the Mediterranean. On June 4, the USS Ronald Raegan was reportedly deployed from a naval base in Japan to the South China Sea. Two more flattops, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS George Washington, left their bases for training maneuvers.
On June 6, US Navy destroyer Porter began its 21-day routine patrol of the Black Sea in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. The deployment drew criticism from Moscow for destabilizing the region.
