Public Media for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Coast Guard encounters Russian military ship near Atka

Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) detected and followed a Russian Federation Vishnya-class naval vessel Monday south of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Alex Haley patrolled under Operation Frontier Sentinel, a Coast Guard operation designed to meet presence with presence when strategic competitors operate in and around U.S. waters. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)
Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard
/
Digital
The Coast Guard said Friday that the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley identified a Russian Federation Vishnya class naval vessel. The Soviet-era ships were built for intelligence gathering and are armed with weapons systems, including surface-to-air missile launchers.

The U.S. Coast Guard encountered a Russian ship near the Aleutians Monday, less than a month after identifying Chinese military ships in the region.

The Coast Guard said Friday that the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley identified a Russian Federation Vishnya class naval vessel. The Soviet-era ships were built for intelligence gathering and are armed with weapons systems, including surface-to-air missile launchers.

The Coast Guard said it spotted the Russian ship near Atka Island in the central Aleutians. It was traveling in the United States’ exclusive economic zone, a large area extending 200 nautical miles off the U.S. coast. The zone is considered international waters but the United States maintains authority over resources in the region.

The Alex Haley is one of the Coast Guard’s larger cutters and is home ported in Kodiak. It followed the Russian ship as it passed through the region but did not communicate with it.

The Haley’s lead officer, Cmdr. Steven Baldovsky, said the crew “met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to U.S. interests.”

Both the Russian and Chinese navies have shown a regular presence in the Aleutians in recent years, and the Pentagon is raising the alarm about the two nations' increased cooperation in the Arctic.

Theo Greenly reports from the Aleutians as a Report for America corps member. He got his start in public radio at KCRW in Santa Monica, California, and has produced radio stories and podcasts for stations around the country.