Incident in the Black Sea in 1988
The 1988 Black Sea incident was an incident between the US Navy and the Soviet Navy in the Black Sea .
The guided missile cruiser Yorktown and the destroyer Caron invaded Soviet territorial waters within the twelve-mile zone of the Soviet Union south of the Crimean peninsula for over an hour on February 12, 1988 . The United States invoked the right of peaceful passage . This right allows any ship to cross the territorial waters of a foreign state if this is the shortest route out of and into international waters. The ships were equipped with technical reconnaissance equipment from the National Security Agency .
However, the Soviet Union refused this right at certain points, including here in front of the Crimea . Since the Caron also had receiving and evaluation devices for radar signals on board, the Soviet Union sent two ships, a light frigate of the Mirka II class and the Bessawetni , Kriwak class , to push away the American ships. The Bessawetni rammed the Yorktown .
See also
literature
- William J. Aceves: Diplomacy at Sea: US Freedom of Navigation Operations in the Black Sea. Naval War College Review, 1993 (46), 2, pp. 59-79.