Video released by the FBI shows a Russian military intelligence vessel, the Kareliya, operating roughly 15 nautical miles south of Oahu on Oct. 29, 2025 — just outside U.S. territorial waters, according to DVIDS (FBI video).
The U.S. Coast Guard responded by launching an HC-130 Hercules overflight and sending the Cutter William Hart (WPC 1134) to shadow the ship, Fox News reported, escalating monitoring around the islands.
“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 Coast Guard Oceania District, as quoted by Fox News.
The proximity matters: the ship remained about 15 nautical miles south of Oahu — outside the 12‑nautical‑mile territorial sea but close enough to gather intelligence on military and commercial traffic, CBS News reported.
Officials identified the vessel as the Kareliya, a Vishnya‑class intelligence ship — one of seven of that class still in service and originally built in the 1980s, CBS News documented.
FBI footage of the encounter is available for public viewing, and the clip was posted online to show the vessel’s location and U.S. monitoring activity, Media Magik Entertainment (FBI video) uploaded the footage.
This is not an isolated data point — Russian intelligence ships have been tracked near Hawaii before (including sightings in 2021 and 2023) and near other U.S. and allied waters, underscoring a pattern of probing activities, CBS News noted.
And the threat is technical as well as geographic: the Kareliya carries advanced signals‑intelligence sensors capable of collecting and transmitting data back to Russian shore facilities via satellite — a capability that raises fresh national‑security questions, Fox News reported.
That capability means an increased risk of electronic surveillance against U.S. military and commercial maritime activity in the Pacific — a direct concern for personnel and residents in Hawaii, Fox News documented.
Hawaii’s strategic position as America’s Pacific hub makes these incursions especially sensitive for local defense planners and the islands’ economy, WorkBoat reported, with potential commercial disruptions if tensions escalate.
No official response from Moscow had been released as of this reporting, and the Kareliya remained in international waters consistent with maritime law, CBS News confirmed.
The Trump administration and U.S. security officials reiterated that protecting maritime borders is a priority, and conservative leaders are pressing for stepped‑up Pacific defenses in response, Fox News reported.
Conservative commentators and grassroots groups are already calling for increased military vigilance and funding for Pacific infrastructure, as discussed on APT, urging Congress to hold hearings and appropriate resources.
The immediate next step: the U.S. Coast Guard says monitoring will continue and further official updates — and possible congressional statements — are expected. But the broader question remains: will Moscow escalate its Pacific intelligence operations — and how will Washington respond?
WATCH the declassified footage below:
Stay tuned — this story has clear national‑security stakes, and every new movement of the Kareliya could reveal whether this was a routine probe or the opening of a larger pattern that demands forceful U.S. action.
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Steeve Strange is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Scoop. A passionate defender of conservative values and constitutional freedoms, he founded The Scoop to deliver truthful, America First journalism. Contact: [email protected]
