US denies sending submarine to Russian waters amid Ukraine crisis

The United States has denied having carried out any military operations in Russian national waters. The statement comes after the Moscow government accused their Washington counterpart of sending a submarine to Russian national waters, where it was chased out by one of their vessels. 

Captain Kyle Raines, a military spokesperson said, “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”, as per Reuters. 

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Meanwhile, Interfax reported Russia accusing the US of breaking international law, while creating a threat to national security. The ministry’s report also recounted how steps taken by the Russian vessel were enough in getting the US submarine to retreat after it failed to comply with the vessel’s orders to appear at the water’s surface. 

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This incident has garnered even more attention since tensions run high between Russia and the US over the Ukraine border crisis. The Vladimir Putin-led Moscow government has been amassing troops at the border, leading to fears of an invasion. While Moscow has denied any such plans, the Western leaders have decided to keep diplomatic channels open and sanctions ready in case of an invasion. 

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Both the US and Russia have locked horns over their stance regarding Ukraine. Russia wants NATO to block Ukraine’s entry into the organization and reduce its military presence in eastern Europe. Not only has the US rejected this, but has also sent troops in a preparatory stance against a possible Russian invasion. Currently, the US is convinced enough of an invasion that it has recommended evacuation from Ukraine to its countrypeople.  

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While Biden and Putin spoke for an hour regarding the Ukraine crisis today, the submarine incident was not brought up. Moreover, the talk didn’t yield any positive results regarding de-escalating the Ukraine situation.