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Republican Congressman Tweets Out Image Of Russian Warship To Wish US Navy Happy Birthday

JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images

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Shelby Talcott Senior White House Correspondent
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Republican Florida Rep. Brian Mast wished the U.S. Navy a happy birthday using a picture of a warship Sunday in a since-deleted tweet, but the ship apparently was not American.

The U.S. Navy originated 244 years ago in 1775, and its birthday falls on Oct. 13. Mast accidentally tweeted out a picture of a Russian warship when wishing the Navy a happy birthday, according to Dave Brown, deputy defense editor at Politico. He deleted the tweet shortly after and replaced it with a video.

Naval warfare journalist Chris Cavas identified the ship as Russian, Brown added. The ship in the now-deleted tweet is actually the Russian battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy, according to Brown.

Mast’s new tweet is a video from the U.S. Navy about its birthday. The congressman is a U.S. Army veteran who lost both of his legs and a finger during an explosion while serving. He is a Purple Heart recipient.

“Happy birthday to the US Navy! To the men and women who serve to keep our waters safe, we thank you,” the new tweet reads. (RELATED: Russia Launches Deadly Doomsday Submarine)

The U.S. and Russia has been on tense terms, with the U.S. Navy accusing Russia of intercepting a U.S. aircraft as tensions rose with Moscow, CNN reported. Two ships from each country almost collided July 5 as well, with the U.S. blaming Russia for an “unsafe maneuver.”

“We consider Russia’s actions during this interaction as unsafe and unprofessional and not in accordance with … internationally recognized maritime customs,” according to a statement from the Navy.

China and Russia have reached an “unprecedented level” of cooperation, according to Russian leader Vladimir Putin after a July meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to CNN.

Mast’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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