The first video of the encounter between the Russian Udaloy-class destroyer Admiral Vinogradov and the USS Chancellorsville cruiser appeared online on 7 June, but what drew the attention of many viewers was not how close the ships came to each other, but a surprising sight on the aft of the Russian destroyer.
The footage shows what appeared to be several Russian sailors sunbathing on the destroyer's helicopter pad amid what was called by the US Navy an "unsafe approach" that nearly resulted in a collision. The sailors, however, did not seem to worry much about the two ships possibly crashing into each other, as one of them looked like he was relaxing in a sun lounger naked while two others were improving their tans shirtless.
Some netizens found the sight of the laid back sailors to be the best evidence that the Russian destroyer wasn’t performing any aggressive actions against the USS Chancellorsville, as some American media outlets have suggested.
Many twitterians were amazed at how the Russian sailors kept their cool in the midst of such an uneasy situation and simply continued enjoying their day.
Others suggested that the mood on the USS Chancellorsville was likely quite the opposite.
One social media user noted that the sailors were probably just unaware of what was going on.
The Russian Navy has slammed the US ship's actions in the East China Sea, which nearly led to a collision with the Admiral Vinogradov. According to Russian naval officials, the USS Chancellorsville suddenly changed course and crossed the path of the Russian destroyer, coming as close as 50 metres from the ship.
READ MORE: Russia Accuses US Destroyer of Creating Dangerous Situation For Its Ship in East China Sea
The US Navy, in turn, presented its own version of events, portraying the incident as a result of the Russian destroyer's "unsafe and unprofessional approach" to the USS Chancellorsville, which, as the Navy claims, was sailing on a steady course to recover a helicopter.