Russian military vessel spotted near Hawaii, US Coast Guard says
The U.S. Coast Guard detected and monitored a Russian military vessel operating near U.S. territorial waters close to the Hawaiian islands on Oct. 29, according to a press release published Nov. 13.
The Coast Guard said it responded to the Kareliya, a Russian Vishnya-class intelligence ship, by "conducting a safe and professional overflight and transiting near the vessel."
The Kareliya was spotted about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Oahu, the third largest and most populous of the Hawaiian Islands and home to the state capital, Honolulu.
The Coast Guard said it is monitoring the vessel in accordance with international law to ensure maritime security for U.S. vessels operating in the area and to support national defense.
"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, chief of response for Coast Guard District 14.
"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," he added.
Chong noted that this type of monitoring is routine and carried out in coordination with other United States military and federal agencies.
The Kareliya, one of six active Vishnya-class intelligence-gathering ships operated by Russia, serves in the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet. The vessel was previously sighted near the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 2021, and again near the island chain in 2022.
Under international law, foreign military vessels are allowed to travel through and operate outside other nations’ territorial waters, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from shore.
