Russian Navy Announces Expulsion of American Submarine from Its Waters

A Russian destroyer from the Pacific Fleet expelled a U.S. Virginia-class nuclear submarine from its territorial waters off the Kuril Islands, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense on Saturday. The incident occurred on Saturday morning at around 7:40 AM (GMT). The ministry noted that the Russian destroyer "Marshal Shaposhnikov" sent an underwater message ordering the American submarine to "surface." After it refused, the destroyer used unspecified "means" to force the submarine to "leave Russian territorial waters as quickly as possible." This incident comes as the world awaits an important phone call today between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss ways to avoid conflict in Ukraine. The United States claims that a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen at any moment next week, while Moscow denies any intention to attack its neighbor Kyiv.