The U.S. Coast Guard spotted four Russian Federation Navy vessels on Sunday, September 15, approximately 57 miles northwest of Point Hope on the North Slope.
Coast Guard Public Affairs Officer Mike Salerno said that such encounters are not unusual, and the Russian Navy operated within international norms.
“They were operating in accordance with international rules and customs, and the assessment was that they're just avoiding ice on the Russian side of the maritime boundary line," Salerno said.
The group of four vessels; two surfaced submarines, a frigate, and a tug, briefly traveled 30 miles into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone to avoid the sea ice. The Coast Guard’s 418-foot Legend-class cutter Stratton observed the vessels as they transited the region.
The naval vessels were spotted in the midst of a five day span that saw four Russian aircraft formations enter the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. Despite this, Salerno stressed that the incident was not a provocation, and the Coast Guard’s response followed regular procedures.
“Our goal is to protect U.S. sovereign interests, fish stocks, and promote international norms. So in this case, everything followed international norms, and that's exactly what we want to see," Salerno said.
The Coast Guard said they plan to continue actively patrolling the region by both air and sea.
