[1] At the time, the Soviet Union recognized the right of innocent passage for warships in its territorial waters solely in designated sea lanes.
[2] The United States believed that there was no legal basis for a coastal nation to limit warship transits to sea lanes only.
[1] In 1979, the United States launched an informal program to promote the "rights and freedoms of navigation and overflight guaranteed to all nations under international law".
[1] In the 1980s, US warships were passing through the straits from the Mediterranean into the Black Sea two or three times a year to "show the flag" and to claim the right of innocent passage in the coastal states.
According to a US government official, "the Dardanelles and the Bosporus form an international waterway" under that convention and "if you don't periodically reaffirm your rights you find that they're hard to revive".
The commander of the Black Sea Fleet Mikhail Khronopulo received an order from Chernavin to curb the passage of US warships.
[4] Initially the destroyer Krasnyy Kavkaz was tasked with confronting them, but she experienced technical problems so Bezzavetnyy, a Krivak-class frigate, was dispatched instead.
At 10:02 a.m, local time, at 44°15.2′N 33°35.4′E / 44.2533°N 33.5900°E / 44.2533; 33.5900, 10.5 nautical miles (19.4 km; 12.1 mi) from the coast, SKR-6 bumped the port side aft of Caron at frame about 60 feet (18 m) from the bow.
"[1] Yorktown, in its report stated that on 9:56, local time, it was contacted by Bezzavetnyy via channel 16 and told to leave Soviet territorial waters or "our ship is going to strike on yours.