Russia conducts military exercise southwest of St. Lawrence Island
The Russian military has been conducting an exercise in international waters of the Bering Sea, about 300 miles southwest of St. Lawrence Island. The drills, which included the launch of a missile, are taking place within U.S. exclusive economic zone, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Though military operations and exercises in international waters are lawful, we will continue to ensure there are no disruptions to U.S. interests or commerce in the maritime environment around Alaska,” Rear Adm. Megan Dean, Seventeenth Coast Guard District commander, said in a statement on Monday.
The Coast Guard said it sent out its 418-foot cutter Kimball to patrol near U.S. fishing vessels that were operating in the U.S. exclusive economic zone, or EEZ. The EEZ extends up to 200 nautical miles beyond a nation’s territorial seas. The U.S. has sovereign rights for exploration, exploitation, conservation and management of natural resources in its EEZ.
“The Kimball has been patrolling since September 13, and the exercise is currently scheduled to continue until Sept. 24,” Petty Officer Shannon Kearney, of the USCG’s Base Kodiak public affairs department, told the Nugget in an email.
The National Geospatial Agency put out an urgent warning of navigational dangers known as a HYDROPAC on Sept. 10 after the Russian military gave notice of its plans.
A similar exercise took place in November 2020 and caught fishermen off guard in the Bering Sea. Seattle-based vessels were chased out of the area by Russian planes and some lost millions when they had to cut their fishing gear to flee.
Soon after, Coast Guard brass appeared before a U.S. Senate panel and admitted that they failed to properly communicate with the fishing industry.
Regarding the current exercise, there were no conflicts reported as of press time on Tuesday. Kearney said the Coast Guard informed tribes and municipal governments in Gambell and Savoonga, as well as the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, Kawerak and the Association of Village Council Presidents.
According to the Coast Guard, the Kimball is patrolling under the Seventeenth District’s “Operation Frontier Sentinel.” This operation is “designed to meet presence with presence and ensure there are no disruptions to U.S. interests in the Alaskan maritime environment.”