WASHINGTON — Monday the Coast Guard sent out a bulletin warning that a RFN Viktor Leonov (AGI-175) was "operating in an unsafe manner" in waters that are the USCG Sector Jacksonville's Area of Responsibility. The area is about 40,000 square miles of ocean that runs about 190 miles along the coast of Georgia to Florida, the Military Times reports.
The ship, equipped with electronic surveillance gear, was said to be "lurking" off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. The U.S. Coast Guard said the ship was not "energizing running lights" in an area with conditions that had reduced visibility, and also said the ship was not responding to hails by commercial vessels. The Viktor Leonov was said to have been making erratic movements.
The Coast Guard warned that other vessels in the area should use "extreme caution" when navigating near the vessel and report any unsafe situations.
As the Military Times reports, Maj. Mark R. Lazane, a spokesman with NORTHCOM said, “We are aware of Russia’s naval activities, including the deployment of these intelligence collection ships in the region." Luzane went on to say, "While we won’t discuss specific measures being taken, NORAD and NORTHCOM routinely conduct air and maritime operations to ensure the defense of the United States and Canada.”
It's not the first time that the Viktor Leonov has performed intelligence operations off the coast of the United States. In 2017 the Pentagon said the U.S. Coast Guard was trailing the Leonov, but that it was operating in international waters.
The spokesperson for the Pentagon at the time, Capt. Jeff Davis said, “this is not something where we have seen where they have entered territorial waters, and as such it is lawful and very similar to operations we do,” as the Military Times reported.