US Naval Ship runs aground in Black Sea

The frigate USS Taylor briefly ran ground last Wednesday as it was preparing to moor at Samsun, where it was due to refuel, Navy officials say.

The ship was able to dock at the port and an initial inspection indicated the ship's propeller blades suffered some damage, but there was no damage to the hull, officials say.

It was unclear when the ship, which has a crew of about 200 sailors, would return to its duties in the Black Sea, says Commander Philip Rosi, spokesman for the US Sixth Fleet, which oversees American ships in the Mediterranean.

He said in an email that "it is too early to determine the impact to the schedule."

The embarrassing incident came after the Pentagon made a point of announcing the deployment of the frigate as well as another ship, the USS Mount Whitney, a command vessel, to the region to coincide with the Winter Olympics.

There were no reported injuries.

Amid concerns about possible terror attacks by Islamist militants at the games, Washington sent the two ships to the region in case of an emergency requiring the evacuation of Americans or other military assistance.

US officials had previously complained that Russian authorities were reluctant to share some intelligence on potential threats.

This does follow the US Navy’s report on a grounding on a Filipino Reef.