Like clockwork, the Russian spy ship "Viktor Leonov" has arrived just off the Virginia coast, and this time, the American Navy was there to greet it.
The Russian spy ship is called the Viktor Leonov and was recently seen sailing approximately 30 miles off the coast of Virginia. Reports indicate that the closest the Viktor Leonov got to American shores was 27 miles. International waters begin approximately 13 miles off the coast. While the Russian ship is more than within its rights to sail there, that is certainly close enough for the ship to spy on American naval activity in the area. Earlier this week, the ship was spotted approximately 100 miles off the coast of North Carolina. An American Destroyer, the U.S.S. Cole, is tailing and monitoring the Russian ship's activities. The U.S.S. Cole is currently based out of Norfolk, Virginia. U.S. Navy Spokesman Brian Wierzbicki released a statement, explaining that "we are tracking the Viktor Leonov's presence off the East Coast, much like we are aware of all vessels approaching the United States and Canada. We respect the rights and freedoms of all nations to operate in international waters in accordance with international law.”
Russian military ships and aircraft routinely approach and encroach on America's borders. The practice dates back to the Cold War and is Russia's way of probing defenses and testing Western militaries' reaction protocols. Back in December, a Russian ship had to be escorted out of British territorial waters in the North Sea by a Royal Navy Frigate.
The Viktor Leonov is one of seven of Russia's Vishnya-Class intelligence ships. First manufactured in 1988, the ship has since been outfitted with advanced signals intelligence (SIGINT) equipment. The Viktor Leonov's sensors pick up signals from American ships and the mainland, and then transmit that data back home by satellite. While the Viktor Leonov does have a small cannon and missile battery, it is not considered an offensive ship because these weapons are almost exclusively used in a defensive capacity.
The U.S. Navy had been expecting Russia to send its spy ship to Virginia's shores. The Viktor Leonov has been known to make this same pass every year around this time and has never gone undetected by the American naval forces.