Argentine patrol opens fire at Russian trawler

Near the border of its 200 miles economic zone an Argentinean patrol vessel has opened fire at the Russian trawler "Odoevsk" of the Murmansk port /in the North/.

Nobody was injured in the incident. A locator was destroyed by precision fire.

According to Representative of the Russian Transport Ministry in Buenos Aires, who spoke by means of a satellite connection with captain of the trawler Pavel Ripak, early in the morning, local time, on June 13th the Argentinean frontier guard vessel "Thomson" approached the trawler and demanded an inspection, suspecting the Russian vessel in squid fishing in the 200-mile economic zone.

The captain claims that the fishing was in international waters. Nevertheless, he levelled up the trawl and decided to sail away from the frontier guard servicemen. Without a warning the frontier guard vessel opened fire from a machine gun. After that the Russian vessel tried to shake of the pursuer, which continued to chase the trawler.

The Argentinean Foreign Ministry demanded from the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires, that the inspectors should be permitted on board the Russian trawler. Stepanov, who got in touch with Ripak, told him the Buenos Aires demanded and the recommendation from the Embassy to follow the order. The Odoevsk reported that the ship was drifting and waiting to receive an unarmed inspector. However, after 40 minutes of waiting nobody approached the Russian trawler. By that time the captain had received a new order from the "Murmansk tralflot" company, to which it belonged, to move to the open sea, and by night the trawler had managed to follow the order.

The Russian Embassy sent a note of protest to the Argentinean Foreign Ministry, concerning the Frontier Guard vessel against opening fire without a warning of the peaceful ship.