a naval vesselThe Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley identified a Russian Federation Vishnya-class naval alloy successful world waters adjacent nan Aleutian Islands connected Aug. 5, 2024. (From U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard encountered a Russian vessel adjacent nan Aleutians past week, little than a period aft identifying Chinese subject ships successful nan region.

The Coast Guard said Friday that nan cutter Alex Haley identified a Russian Federation Vishnya-class naval alloy connected Aug. 5. The Soviet-era ships were built for intelligence gathering, but are equipped pinch weapons including surface-to-air rocket launchers.

The Coast Guard said it spotted nan Russian vessel adjacent Atka Island successful nan cardinal Aleutians. It was walking successful nan United States’ exclusive economical zone, a ample area extending 200 nautical miles disconnected nan U.S. coast. The area is considered world waters but nan United States maintains authority complete resources successful nan region.

The Alex Haley is 1 of nan Coast Guard’s larger cutters and is location ported successful Kodiak. It followed nan Russian vessel arsenic it passed done nan region but did not pass pinch it.

The Haley’s lead officer, Cmdr. Steven Baldovsky, said nan unit “met beingness pinch beingness to guarantee location were nary disruptions to U.S. interests.”

Both nan Russian and Chinese navies person shown a regular beingness successful nan Aleutians successful caller years, and the Pentagon is raising nan siren astir nan 2 nations’ accrued practice successful nan Arctic.