A U.S. Coast Guard cutter conducting a routine patrol near Alaska's Aleutian Islands recently encountered a Russian ship within the U.S. exclusive economic zone but in international waters, officials confirmed. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley crew spotted the vessel approximately 30 miles southeast of the Amukta Pass, with additional confirmation from a helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak.
The Russian vessel was observed transiting in international waters while still situated inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. shoreline. Despite not engaging in direct communication with the Russian ship, the Coast Guard vessel closely monitored its movements as it traveled eastward.
Commander Steven Baldovsky, the commanding officer of the Alex Haley, emphasized the importance of maintaining a presence to safeguard U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska. This incident follows a previous encounter in July when the Coast Guard identified four Chinese military ships north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, also within the U.S. exclusive economic zone.
Subsequently, Russian and Chinese bombers conducted joint flights in international airspace off the coast of Alaska, marking a significant display of military cooperation that raised concerns among U.S. officials. While the flights were not perceived as a direct threat, U.S. and Canadian fighter jets intercepted and tracked the bombers. Notably, this event marked the first instance of Chinese bomber aircraft entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone and the first time Chinese and Russian aircraft operated from the same base in northeast Russia.
