US official says near-collision US-Russia incident 'similar' to Turkish activities in EastMed

The United States' Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Friday a near-collision between in a Russian destroyer and a US Navy ship in the Philippine Sea was reminiscent of Tuskish aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.

Shanahan told reporters he would caution against tying the two incidents but such "unsafe and unprofessional acts" will not deter the US in its operations.

According to US media reports, a US Navy guided-missile cruiser was forced to conduct emergency maneuvers after a Russian destroyer came within several yards of the American ship.