Russian warship 'aggressively approached' US destroyer in Arabian

A Russian warship "aggressively approached" a US Navy destroyer while it was operating in the North Arabian Sea Thursday, ignoring warnings from the US vessel and increasing the risk of a collision, the US Navy said Friday.

"On Thursday, Jan. 9, while conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea, USS Farragut was aggressively approached by a Russian Navy ship," the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, which oversees naval operations in the Middle East, said in a statement.

Watch Russian warship 'aggressively' encounter US ship

"Farragut sounded five short blasts, the international maritime signal for danger of a collision, and requested the Russian ship alter course in accordance with international rules of the road. The Russian ship initially refused but ultimately altered course," the statement said, adding "While the Russian ship took action, the initial delay in complying with international rules while it was making an aggressive approach increased the risk of collision."

A US Navy official says that the Farragut is part of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier group and the Farragut is tasked with intercepting potential enemy ships to prevent them from approaching the aircraft carrier.