Nothing NEW, just a new ‘player’
The Russkies and USN played ‘chicken of the sea’ on a (sort of) regular basis, using their trawlers to interfere with day to day ops.
After I had left, that LST I was on played chicken with a Russian freighter on the open seas.
Just another day at the office to go along with the typhoons, reckless Japanese fishing craft, small boats in Hong Kong Harbor, just ‘waiting’ to get hit by one of ‘Unka Sugahs’ fine craft, just to get the big ‘payday’.
I was serving in USS Caron in 1992 in the Black Sea on a Freedom of Navigation Op with Yorktown when a Lumber Carrier (Lesnoavodsk) attempted a shouldering. Thew LC was too slow so we were shouldered by Mirka SKR. Took some damage near the port Harpoon launcher. That FON Op was going from a position in International Waters through Soviet claimed Territorial Waters on a direct course to another position in International Waters. I am guessing that the recent event was similar to ours (been on the retired list for over 20 years).