"McCampbell sailed in the vicinity of Peter the Great Bay to challenge Russia's excessive maritime claims and uphold the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea enjoyed by the United States and other nations," McMarr said on Wednesday.
Peter the Great Bay is the largest part of the Sea of Japan and is also home of Russia’s Pacific Fleet.
McMarr explained the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows it to do so. "That is true in the Sea of Japan as in other places around the globe," McMarr said.
The United States stated earlier it supports Ukraine in the naval incident in the Kerch Strait that occurred late last month.
On November 25, three Ukrainian Navy ships — Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yany Kapu — breached Russia’s water border and began moving toward the Kerch Strait, which serves as an entrance into the Sea of Azov. The Russian authorities detained the ships and their crews after failing to respond to the lawful demands to stop.
