JUNEAU, Alaska – The U.S. Coast Guard located a Russian Vishnya-class warship south of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska on Monday.

While patrolling the Aleutian Islands, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard ship Alex Haley (WMEC 39) discovered the vessel 30 nautical miles southeast of the Amukta Passage in Alaska.

The Russian vessel was transiting international waters but within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. coast. The Alex Haley did not communicate with the Russian vessel. The Alex Haley confirmed it was a Russian Vishnya-class warship and followed the vessel as it passed east. An HC-130 flight crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak also observed the vessel.

“As a proud cutter homeported in Alaska, we patrol to maintain maritime stewardship and a rules-based international order,” said Commander Steven Baldovsky, commanding officer of the Alex Haley. “We met presence with presence to ensure there is no disruption to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska.”

Coast Guard Ship Alex Haley was patrolling as part of Operation Frontier Sentinel, a Coast Guard operation designed to provide a presence to counter strategic adversaries in and around U.S. waters. The U.S. Coast Guard presence strengthens the international rules-based order and promotes the conduct of operations in a manner consistent with international law and norms.

This type of monitoring of ship activity is not uncommon. A previous case from 2024 can be found here.

The Alex Haley is a 283-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Kodiak, Alaska.