On Thursday, the United States Coast Guard shared that they have been monitoring a Russian vessel, currently located off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands, that they believe to be an intelligence-gathering ship.
The Coast Guard shared the information in a press release, noting that it is working with Department of Defense partners to give updates on the ship’s movements and activities.
Tracking ships in the Pacific area or in any domestic water isn’t new for the Coast Guard, Cmdr. Dave Milne, chief of External Affairs, shared in the release.
“As part of our daily operations, we track all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities,” Milne said.
This is also not the first time run in between the Coast Guard and a Russian spy ship.
In 2019, a Russian spy ship sailed off the southeastern coast of the country, near the coast of South Carolina and Florida. A report from CNN at the time cited two US officials who said it was operating in an “unsafe manner.”
The way the ship was being sailed was determined to be unsafe because it was not using running lights in low visibility weather, nor was it responding to commercial vessels that were attempting to communicate to avoid potential accidents.
Thursday’s release shared that military vessels are free to travel or loiter through the US economic exclusive zone, being that it is “customary” per international laws.
But, Milne shared that the US still has the right to monitor anyone in domestic waters.
“The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest,” he said. “This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific.”
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