Russian Spy Ship Operating in 'Unsafe Manner' Off North Carolina Coast

A Russian spy-ship operating off the coast of the Southeastern U.S. is being monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard and other military commands tasked with protecting the country, U.S. military officials said on Monday.

According to Navy spokeswoman Capt. Pamela Kunze, the U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command are keeping a close eye on "foreign military naval vessels" of interest.

"We are aware of Russia's naval activities, including the deployment of intelligence collection ships in the region," Kunze said. "While we won't discuss specific measures being taken, NORAD and USNORTHCOM routinely conduct air and maritime operations to ensure the defense of the United States and Canada."

The Russian spy ship, identified as the Viktor Leonov, a Russian navy surveillance vessel, has been so erratic, the Coast Guard needed to issue a marine safety bulletin about the vessel, advising other craft in the area that the spy ship could be sailing without running lights and fail to respond to radio calls. One official told CNN the spy ship has not been responding to hails from commercial ships attempting to establish its position in order to avoid potential accidents.

The area where the the Vishnya-class Russian navy vessel is near several bases operated by the Pentagon, including some facilities in Jacksonville. The spy ship has been spotted traveling south over the last few days, off the coast of the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. Officials say the the Viktor Leonov is regularly seen patrolling in international waters along the eastern coast of the US, since 2015

The last several years have seen tensions between the U.S. and Russia rise dramatically, especially as the Russian air force buzz U.S. warships with warplanes and American planes have needed to intercept Russian bombers off the Alaskan coast.

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