The United States Coast Guard detected a Russian military vessel sailing within the country’s exclusive economic zone near the Hawaiian coast.
The US Coast Guard announced Wednesday that it has been tracking a vessel off the coast of Hawaii believed to be a Russian intelligence vessel.
“In recent weeks, the US Coast Guard has continued to monitor a Russian ship, believed to be an intelligence-gathering vessel, off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands,” the Coast Guard said in a statement. press.
While the area off the coast of Hawaii, known as the US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), is open to international shipping, some foreign military vessels are known to remain offshore.
“Foreign-flagged military vessels have often been observed operating and loitering within the Coast Guard District Fourteen response area.”
District 14 patrols the Coast Guard’s largest area of responsibility, occupying 14 million square miles of land and sea, with various units stationed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Saipan, Guam, Singapore, and Japan.
A Coast Guard official said the Russian ship is being monitored and various agencies are discussing strategies to maintain maritime peace.
“The US Coast Guard is currently monitoring the Russian ship operating in the vicinity of Hawaii,” said Commander Dave Milne, chief of External Affairs.
“As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities.”
“The Coast Guard operates in accordance with the international laws of the sea to ensure that all nations can do the same without fear or competition. This is especially critical to ensure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific,” added Milne.
The Russian presence off the North American coast is not unusual, as several ships have been sighted in recent years, including a Russian warship near Alaska last September.
A month earlier, NORAD detected Russian surveillance planes flying in the Alaska defense zone.
Last March, President Biden banned Russian-flagged ships from entering any US port after the invasion of Ukraine.