Coast Guard monitoring suspected Russian spy ship near Hawaii

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday said officials have been tracking a suspected Russian spy ship off the coast of Hawaii for weeks.

While foreign military ships are allowed to move through U.S. waters, the Coast Guard said in a press release that it is monitoring the vessel and sharing updated information with the Department of Defense to “appropriately meet presence with presence to encourage international maritime norms.”

Cmdr. Dave Milne, the chief of external affairs, said the Coast Guard tracks “all vessels in the Pacific area through surface and air assets and joint agency capabilities.”

“The Coast Guard operates in accordance with international laws of the sea to ensure all nations can do the same without fear or contest,” Milne said in a statement. “This is especially critical to secure freedom of movement and navigation throughout the Blue Pacific.”

The Coast Guard on Wednesday also shared a video clip of the vessel, which it called an intelligence gathering ship, when it was moving through the waters off Hawaii on Jan. 11.

Last May, the U.S. also tracked another Russian ship near Hawaii, which alerted U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Tensions remain sky-high between the two countries amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.