WASHINGTON, Oct 16, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Moscow said Friday that one of its

warships chased away a US Navy destroyer after it attempted to violate
Russia's territorial waters in the Sea of Japan, but Washington denied this.

  The incident took place as Russia and China were conducting naval exercises
in the area.

  The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that at around 5 pm local
time (0800GMT), the destroyer USS Chafee, which had been operating in the Sea
of Japan for several days, "approached the territorial waters of the Russian
Federation and attempted to cross the border."

  Russia's Admiral Tributs destroyer issued a warning to the US ship "about
the inadmissibility of such actions."

  However, the USS Chafee ignored the warning and "took action to violate the
national border of the Russian Federation," according to the Russian Defense
Ministry.

  "Acting within the framework of the international rules of navigation, the
Admiral Tributs set a course for ousting the intruder from the Russian
territorial waters."

  After that, the USS Chafee turned around and set off "on the opposite
course" when it was less than 60 meters away from the Russian ship.

  The US Navy dismissed the Russian account as "false."

  It said in a statement that its ship "was conducting routine operations in
international water in the Sea of Japan" when a Russian destroyer came within
approximately 65 yards of the USS Chafee "while the ship was preparing for
flight operations."

  "The interaction was safe and professional," the US navy said.

  The US Navy acknowledged that Russia had notified it that it was conducting
maneuvers in the area, but the notice "was not in effect at the time of the
interaction."

  The US ship "conducted operations in accordance with international law and
custom," the statement read. "The United States will continue to fly, sail,
and operate where international law allows."

  Incidents involving the Russian Navy are rare in the Pacific. The region is
dominated by China, which takes a dim view of the United States and its
allies patrolling the region's international waters to assert their right to
freedom of navigation.