US Coast Guard Tracks Russian Spy Ship Operating Near Hawaii

A Russian intelligence-gathering ship operated near US territorial waters off the Hawaiian island of Oahu in late October and was monitored by the US Coast Guard, according to a Coast Guard statement issued on November 13.

The Coast Guard said the Russian Federation Navy auxiliary general intelligence ship Kareliya, a Vishnya-class intelligence vessel, was detected operating about 15 nautical miles south of Oahu on October 29, outside the 12-nautical-mile limit that defines US territorial waters.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Barbers Point and the Coast Guard cutter William Hart conducted what the service described as a “safe and professional” overflight and transit near the Kareliya as part of the response, and the ship’s movements continue to be monitored to provide maritime security for US vessels in the area and support homeland defense efforts.

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In its statement, the Coast Guard said its actions were conducted in line with customary international law, which allows foreign military vessels to operate outside other nations’ territorial seas so long as they remain beyond the 12-nautical-mile boundary.

The service added that Coast Guard units in the Oceania District work with US Indo-Pacific Command and other agencies to track foreign military vessels operating near US territorial waters, including around Hawaii and the US territories of Guam and American Samoa.

The Kareliya is part of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet and has been observed near Hawaii on several previous occasions in recent years, while Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the Coast Guard’s latest report on the ship’s activities.

Earlier, it was reported that the Dutch Navy deployed the survey vessel HNLMS Snellius and patrol ship HNLMS Friesland to monitor and escort the Russian spy ship Yantar out of the North Sea after it operated near critical undersea infrastructure in the Netherlands’ exclusive economic zone.

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