US condemns Russian bombers that flew close to ships

April 15, 2016 | 12:31 am PT
The U.S. says Secretary of State John Kerry has condemned Russian jets that flew close to a U.S. ship, calling the actions "dangerous" and "provocative". Yiming Woo reports. This encounter in the Baltic Sea on April 12th between Russian bombers and a United States destroyer is now the source of diplomatic tension. The U.S. has called it a simulated attack and says the Russian jets also flew near its ship a day earlier. State Department spokesman John Kirby says Secretary of State John Kerry will raise the incident with the Russian Foreign Minister. "He found it unprofessional, needlessly provocative and indeed dangerous. And I can tell you he will raise it directly with Foreign Minister Lavrov." Moscow says the crews of the bombers respected all safety rules -- their nearest territory was about 130 kilometres away. A Russian helicopter also circled the vessel and took photos. Although the bombers weren't visible armed, the U.S. says it was one of the most aggressive interactions between the two former Cold War enemies in recent memory.
 
 
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