MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. A nuclear-powered submarine belonging to the US Navy defied the warnings to leave Russia’s territorial waters and departed after "appropriate means" had been used, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.
"Under the guiding documents on protection of the state border of the Russian Federation in the underwater environment, the crew of the Pacific Fleet’s frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov used appropriate means. The US submarine used a self-propelled simulator to split the target image on radar and acoustic control means into two parts and retreated from Russian territorial waters at a maximum speed," the ministry said.
The ministry added that on February 12 at 10.40 Moscow Time, a Virginia-class submarine belonging to the US Navy was spotted in the area of routine naval exercises of the Pacific Fleet forces in Russia’s territorial waters near Urup Island of the Kuril range.
A warning was transmitted to the crew of the foreign submarine in the Russian and English languages, which said, "You are in Russian territorial waters. Surface immediately!" The US crew ignored the Russian request.
The Pacific Fleet ships carry on scheduled drills, including control of the underwater environment in order to prevent unauthorized incursions across the border into Russia, the ministry said.