Coast Guard Spots Russian Spy Ship Just Miles From American Waters

The Coast Guard said Thursday that it encountered a Russian military vessel just outside of American territorial waters near Hawaii last month. 

The incident took place on October 29, after the Coast Guard detected a Russian vessel 15 miles off the coast of Oahu. Territorial waters extend 12 miles out from the shore, meaning that the Russian ship was within three miles of U.S. territorial waters. 

In response to the ship, the Coast Guard said that it conducted “a safe and professional overflight and transiting” near the Russian vessel involving an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Barbers Point and the William Hart, a Coast Guard cutter. 

“The U.S. Coast Guard routinely monitors maritime activity around the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the Pacific to ensure the safety and security of U.S. waters,” said Captain Matthew Chong, the chief of response for the Coast Guard Oceania District. “Working in concert with partners and allies, our crews monitor and respond to foreign military vessel activity near our territorial waters to protect our maritime borders and defend our sovereign interests.”

The Russian vessel was an intelligence ship built in 1986 for the Soviet Union and was equipped with close-in weapon systems and surface-to-air missile launchers.

The Coast Guard said that it was “monitoring the Russian vessel’s activities near U.S. territorial waters to provide maritime security for U.S. vessels operating in the area and to support U.S. homeland defense efforts.”

Tensions have been elevated between Russia and the United States in recent weeks after President Donald Trump directed the military to conduct new nuclear weapon tests. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that upcoming U.S. testing would involve systems checks, not nuclear detonations.

Trump said last week that the reason for the move was because of secret tests by Russia and China, suggesting that they may be conducting tests underground. 

“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. You know, we’re an open society. We’re different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it, because otherwise you people are going to report,” Trump said. “We’re going to test, because they test and others test.”

Russia has denied Trump’s allegations and said that it would “respond in kind” if the U.S. moved forward with nuclear testing.