The US-Russian Near Collision in the East China Sea

This is taken from the June 7 Reuters report which everyone has been talking about:

MOSCOW/TOKYO (Reuters) – Russia and the United States blamed each other for a near collision between their warships in East Asian waters on Friday with both countries accusing one another of dangerous and unprofessional behavior.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Washington would lodge a formal diplomatic protest to Russia, while a senior Russian parliamentarian said such episodes could easily escalate tensions, which he said were already balanced “on a razor’s edge”.

Russia’s Pacific Fleet said that the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, had come within just 50 meters (165 feet) of the Russian destroyer Admiral Vinogradov which was forced to take emergency action to avoid a collision, Russian news agencies reported…*

*U.S. and Russia trade blame over near collision in East Asian waters
Andrew Osborn, Tim Kelly
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-navy-incident/russia-says-u-s-warship-nearly-caused-collision-in-east-china-sea-news-agencies-idUSKCN1T80LR

The 7th Fleet has a poor track record lately when it comes to at sea collisions, so I’m taking the US statements with a grain of salt. Also the video released doesn’t tell the full story, but actually doesn’t put the US side of the story in a favorable light either. The video clip seems to be edited from a point in time after the potential collision problem had already started. I would like to see the relative ship positions, courses and speeds before this video began. Perhaps the Russian vessel was the overtaking vessel. On the other hand it looks as if the Russian vessel (from its wake in the still shot) (also in the video the Russian vessel is listing to port indicating it was turning away) appeared to turn away from the US vessel which had the Russian vessel on its starboard side. This has the appearance of a last clear chance maneuver by the Russian vessel to avoid collision.

Here are two relevant international rules for navigation for consideration:

“RULE 13
Overtaking
(a) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Rules of Part B, Sections I and II, any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken.
(b) A vessel shall be deemed to be overtaking when coming up with another vessel from a direction more than 22.5 degrees abaft her beam, that
is, in such a position with reference to the vessel she is overtaking, that at night she would be able to see only the stern light of that vessel but neither of her sidelights.
(c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether she if overtaking another, she shall assume that this is the case and act accordingly.
(d) Any subsequent alteration of the bearing between the two vessels shall not make the overtaking vessel a crossing vessel within the meaning of these Rules or relieve her of the duty of keeping clear of the overtaken vessel until she is finally past and clear.”

“RULE 15
Crossing Situation
When two power-driven vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, the vessel which has the other on her own starboard side shall keep out of the way and shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid crossing ahead of the other vessel.”