ORLANDO, Fla. — A Russian spy ship spotted off the coast of Florida in the past week has been "operating in an unsafe manner" in waters near the Southeastern U.S., the U.S. Coast Guard says.
- Coast Guard: Russian ship "operating in unsafe manner" off US coast
- Spy vessel Viktor Leonov routinely patrols in international waters
- Coast Guard says Leonov not answering hails from commercial vessels
The Viktor Leonov has since returned to international waters after also sailing off South Carolina, Georgia, and Trinidad and Tobago recently, according to CNN.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday issued a "Marine Safety Information Bulletin" that said the Vishnya-class surveillance vessel has failed to use running lights in low visibility conditions and is not responding to some hails by commercial vessels.
Russian navy ships routinely patrol in international waters off the East Coast and in the Caribbean, CNN reports. The Viktor Leonov was spotted off Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, in 2018, according to USNI.org. Other large U.S. military installations along the East Coast include Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville; Cape Canaveral Air Force Station; and Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, the U.S. Navy largest complex.
The USS Mahan, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was operating close to the Russian ship, a Defense Department official told CNN.