A fishing trawler was almost struck by a giant Russian container ship in thick fog.

Footage shows the crew trying to push their small vessel away from The Maria, a massive Sochi-registered cargo ship, after it suddenly emerged from a dense fog bank in the Sea of Japan.

One fisherman can be seen stretching out his arms and shoving against the ship's hull in a desperate attempt to avoid being crushed.

In the video, a crew member can be heard saying: 'We are being dragged, the anchor is hooked. The boat is being towed out.'

The Maria had reportedly sailed so close that it caught the fishing boat's anchor chain, pulling the smaller craft dangerously towards it.

The ordeal ended only when the chain snapped, freeing the fishing boat as the container ship continued on its course.

The incident happened off the coast of Vladivostok, Russia, on April 12.

Local media reported that the Maria had been forced to turn back to its home port due to a severe weather warning.