MOSCOW (AP) — Russian state news agencies say the country’s navy claims to have driven away a submarine believed to be American that entered Russia’s northern waters.

The reports Saturday cited an unnamed representative of the navy’s general staff as saying the incident occurred Thursday in the Barents Sea. The Barents Sea lies off northwest Russia and the Russian navy’s Northern Fleet is based on its shores.

The reports said the fleet sent several vessels and an anti-submarine Il-38 aircraft to drive the submarine away.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.