Terrifying moments for the crew of the USS Donald Cook as Russian warplanes turned aggressive:
In one of the most aggressive actions in recent memory, Russian warplanes conducted “simulated attacks” on the a U.S. Navy vessel in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, repeatedly flying within 30 feet of the ship, according to a defense official.
Sailors aboard the destroyer Donald Cook said the aircraft flew low enough to create wake in the sea waters surrounding the ship, and the ship’s commanding officer said the incident was “unsafe and unprofessional,” the defense official said.
“This was more aggressive than anything we’ve seen in some time,” according to the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because U.S. officials have not officially disclosed the incidents.
The U.S. Mission to NATO reported that the Russian pilots “failed to respond to repeated safety advisories in both English and Russian.”
The Pentagon has not yet released a statement on the aggressive action.
Multiple videos of the aggressive actions have been shared by EUCOM MediaOps. You can watch them below.