The US Navy’s USS Donald Cook, operating in international waters in the Baltic Sea, experienced what a statement described as “several close interactions by Russian aircraft on April 11 and 12.” The US European Command (EUCOM) said several low-altitude passes were made by two Russian Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jets on April 11 that came within close proximity of the ship. The statement said one pass was close enough to be considered unsafe. On April 12, seven Russian KA-27 Helix helicopters circled the ship, before two Russian Su-24 jets made 11 more close-range and low altitude passes, EUCOM said. All these maneuvers were considered by the destroyer’s commanding officer to be “unsafe and unprofessional.” Credit: YouTube/Eucom MediaOps

WHAT exactly does Russia have to do to make America mad?

Days after fighter jets under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin swooped dangerously close to a US Navy destroyer, the White House remains deafeningly silent.

Footage of the incident, which took place on April 11 and 12 in the Baltic Sea, shows Russian Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft flying within 30m of the USS Donald Cook, a warship with more than enough weaponry to defend itself.

The Russian jets make numerous passes at low altitude, buzzing over the deck of the 154m-long vessel as sailors watch on nervously.

The Washington Post reports Russia made more than 15 “close-range passes” over two days. The Military Timeslabelled the provocations “simulated attacks”.

Defence officials told the Times sailors aboard the destroyer reported the Russian aircraft flew low enough to create wake in the waters around the ship.

Despite that, all the US could muster in return were a couple of tweets and a Facebook post credited to the chief of naval operations.

“Bravo Zulu to the crew of USS Donald Cook for how they handled themselves during this incident,” Admiral John Richardson wrote.

What Russia did could be in contravention of a treaty signed between the US and the Soviet Union in 1973, following a series of close calls.

The agreement, published on the US Department of State website, outlines that both parties will “not simulate attacks at, launch objects toward or illuminate the bridges of the other party’s ships”, and will “take steps to avoid collisions”.

Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary, released a statement on behalf of the president.

“There were reports of Russian planes flying dangerously close to a US naval ship and a Polish aircraft. This incident, you won’t be surprised to hear, is entirely inconsistent with the professional norms of militaries operating in proximity to each other in international waters.

“Any peacetime military activity must be consistent with international norms and conducted with due regard for the rights of other nations and the safety of other aircraft.”

The US Navy sent the Donald Cook to the Baltic Sea along with three other vessels last week to boost security in Europe.