The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday that it had detected a Russian intelligence-gathering ship operating off the coast of Hawaii. The Russian Navy ship Kareliya, a Vishnya-class intelligence vessel, was spotted approximately 15 miles south of Oahu on Oct. 29. While the ship’s presence was legal, operating just outside the 12-mile territorial sea limit as permitted by international law, its presence prompted a swift response from the Coast Guard, which dispatched an aircraft and a cutter to “monitor” the ship’s progress. Officials insisted the matter was a routine process. “The U.S. Coast Guard routinely monitors maritime activity around the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the Pacific to ensure the safety and security of U.S. waters,” said Capt. Matthew Chong, chief of response for the

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