The United States Coast Guard confirmed that the Russian Navy’s intelligence-collection vessel Kareliya was detected operating approximately 15 nautical miles south of Oahu on October 29. According to officials, the ship—which is part of the Vishnya-class fleet—remained outside U.S. territorial waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from a country’s shorelines.
The Coast Guard deployed both a cutter and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft to track the ship’s movements and gather intelligence. A statement explained that the mission fell squarely within international law, highlighting U.S. peacetime rights to monitor foreign military vessels in adjacent seas.
Efforts to classify the Kareliya’s actions as a direct threat were not made public; no hostile manoeuvres were reported. Nonetheless, the incident comes amid rising concern over foreign naval activity in the Pacific and underscores Hawaii’s strategic importance in U.S. maritime defence planning.
The Russian Embassy has not issued a comment on the situation, and U.S. officials say they continue to monitor the ship’s trajectory and communications in coordination with Pacific regional partners.