The US Navy has released the first video showing the contested near-collision between American and Russian warships in the East China Sea. Both sides blame each other for the aggressive pass.

Reiterating their accusation that the Russian destroyer had made an “unsafe approach,” the US Navy tweeted a video showing an up close perspective of the Friday morning encounter.

BREAKING: #USNavy has released video of #USSChancellorsville being forced to maneuver to avoid collision, after #Russian destroyer Udaloy I made an unsafe and unprofessional approach in the Phillippine Sea, June 7th. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/HpmAMtYraS — U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 7, 2019

BREAKING: #USNavy has released video of #USSChancellorsville being forced to maneuver to avoid collision, after #Russian destroyer Udaloy I made an unsafe and unprofessional approach in the Phillippine Sea, June 7th. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/bM9ZHuYSUM — U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 7, 2019

The navy claims that the USS Chancellorsville was forced “to maneuver to avoid collision” with the other ship, which is almost exactly what the Russian side has been saying of themselves.

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An overhead photo of the incident was also released by a CNN Pentagon correspondent, giving a good view of the two ships in dangerous proximity of one another.

FIRST IMAGE of US Navy warship having a close encounter with Russian warship earlier today in East China Sea https://t.co/KDhBWmy54a — Barbara Starr (@barbarastarrcnn) June 7, 2019

The Russian Pacific Fleet earlier released a statement saying that the American ship had come within 50 meters of them, forcing them to implement emergency maneuvers and change course to avoid collision.

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Friday’s close call in the Pacific follows another dangerous interaction this week when a US patrol plane was intercepted by a Russian Sukhoi Su-35. While Washington called the action “irresponsible,” Moscow claimed they were responding after the American aircraft approached a Russian military facility in Syria.

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