US Military Says Its Submarine Did Not Enter Russian Territorial Waters

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - No US submarine was operating in Russian territorial waters, a spokesman of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said commenting on Russia’s statement regarding the discovery of a US sub near the Kuril Islands.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that it had handed over a note of protest to the US military attache over the violation of Russian territorial waters by a US submarine earlier in the day.

"There is no truth to the Russian claims of our operations in their territorial waters. I will not comment on the precise location of our submarines but we do fly, sail, and operate safely in international waters," Navy Capt. Kyle Raines said in a Saturday statement.

According to the Russian defense ministry, a Virginia-class US submarine was spotted in the Russian territorial waters near the island of Urup, which belongs to the Kurils archipelago, on Saturday evening, during scheduled drills of the Russian Pacific Fleet. The US sub ignored the initial request to come up to the surface.

The modernized frigate of the Russian Pacific Fleet "Marshal Shaposhnikov" then used "relevant methods," in accordance with the guidance on protecting the national borders, according to the Russian defense ministry. After that, the US submarine left Russia's territorial waters.

The Russian defense ministry told the US military attache on Saturday that Russia considers the submarine incident a gross violation of international law.