Russian military spy ship tracked by US Coast Guard just 15 miles off Hawaii coast

The US Coast Guard said it detected and tracked a Russian military spy ship a few miles off the coast of Hawaii, the latest incident of a Russian ship or plane operating near the United States.

The Russian intelligence vessel Kareliya was sighted about 15 nautical miles south of Oahu on Oct. 29, the Coast Guard said Thursday.

An HC-130 Hercules helicopter and a Coast Guard cutter were sent to monitor the ship “conducting a safe and professional overflight and transiting close to the ship,” officials said.

The Coast Guard, which released a photo of the ship, said it is still tracking the ship’s movement near U.S. waters “to provide maritime security for U.S. vessels operating in the area and support U.S. national defense efforts.”

“The U.S. Coast Guard routinely monitors maritime activity around the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the Pacific to ensure the safety of U.S. waters,” Capt. Matthew Chong said in a statement.

International law allows foreign military vessels to transit outside the territorial seas of other nations, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from the coast.

The Coast Guard said the Kareliya is a Vishnya-class intelligence ship, built for the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. According to the US military, there are seven ships of this type still in service in the Russian Navy.

The Kareliya was also sighted off Hawaii in 2021, USNI News reported at the time. In 2023, the US Coast Guard will also tracked a Russian ship near the Hawaiian Islands who were believed to be collecting information.

Earlier this year, British officials said the Royal Navy was monitoring a Russian spy ship. operating in UK waters. British Defense Secretary John Healey told Parliament that the ship was being “used to gather intelligence and map the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.”

“I also wanted President Putin to hear this message: We see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from firm measures to protect this country,” he told lawmakers.

russian spy planes They are also commonly observed off the US, particularly within the Alaska identification zone. The zone begins where the US territory ends off the coast of Alaska, and aircraft from other countries must identify themselves to the United States and Canada when they enter. Russian military activity in the area is common and not considered a threat.

However, in September 2024, NORAD released a dramatic video of a Russian plane flying “a few meters” from a NORAD plane off the coast of Alaska. At the time, an American general said that “the conduct of a Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional and endangered everyone.”