US coastguard patrol spots Russian military ship off Alaska islands
- The vessel was transiting in international waters but still inside the US exclusive economic zone
A US coastguard cutter on routine patrol around Alaska’s Aleutian Islands came across a Russian ship in international waters but within the US exclusive economic zone, officials said.
The crew on the US coastguard Cutter Alex Haley on Monday detected the vessel about 48km (30 miles) southeast of the Amukta Pass, the coastguard said in a Friday statement.
A helicopter aircrew from the coastguard’s Air Station Kodiak also spotted the vessel.
The vessel was “transiting in international waters but still inside the US exclusive economic zone”, which extends 200 nautical miles (370km) from the US shoreline, according to the statement.
The coastguard vessel did not communicate with the Russian ship but followed it as it moved east, the statement said.
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“We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to US interests in the maritime environment around Alaska” Commander Steven Baldovsky, commanding officer of the Alex Haley, said in the statement.