Lyce · Hybrid Watch
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U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley shadows Russian Vishnya-class naval vessel near Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alaska-homeported medium-endurance cutter Alex Haley detected a Russian Federation Vishnya-class naval vessel while patrolling south of the Aleutian chain and identified it roughly 30 nautical miles southeast of Amukta Pass. The Russian ship, a signals-intelligence capable auxiliary, was reported to be transiting in international waters but inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. coastline. Coast Guard personnel visually confirmed the vessel’s class and nationality and then shadowed it as it continued east, without attempting radio communication; an HC-130 aircraft from Air Station Kodiak also overflew and observed the transit. The cutter was operating under Operation Frontier Sentinel, a standing mission to “meet presence with presence” when strategic competitors deploy naval units near U.S. waters, reinforcing a rules-based maritime order and adherence to international law. Commanding officer Cmdr. Steven Baldovsky underlined that maintaining visible U.S. presence around Alaska is intended to deter interference with U.S. maritime interests and reassure local communities and industry that strategic waterways are monitored. The Coast Guard noted that monitoring foreign military traffic in the region is not unusual and pointed to a previous similar case in 2024, indicating a recurring pattern of Russian naval activity around the Aleutian approaches.
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According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Alaska-homeported medium-endurance cutter Alex Haley detected a Russian Federation Vishnya-class naval vessel while patrolling south of the Aleutian chain and identified it roughly 30 nautical miles southeast of Amukta Pass. The Russian ship, a signals-intelligence capable auxiliary, was reported to be transiting in international waters but inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. coastline. Coast Guard personnel visually confirmed the vessel’s class and nationality and then shadowed it as it continued east, without attempting radio communication; an HC-130 aircraft from Air Station Kodiak also overflew and observed the transit. The cutter was operating under Operation Frontier Sentinel, a standing mission to “meet presence with presence” when strategic competitors deploy naval units near U.S. waters, reinforcing a rules-based maritime order and adherence to international law. Commanding officer Cmdr. Steven Baldovsky underlined that maintaining visible U.S. presence around Alaska is intended to deter interference with U.S. maritime interests and reassure local communities and industry that strategic waterways are monitored. The Coast Guard noted that monitoring foreign military traffic in the region is not unusual and pointed to a previous similar case in 2024, indicating a recurring pattern of Russian naval activity around the Aleutian approaches.