Presence of Russian spy ship in international waters off Jersey Shore is nothing new, military says

There’s a report circulating that a Russian spy ship known for collecting intelligence is near the Jersey Shore.

Military officials have confirmed the ship’s presence, but in reality, a foreign vessel in international waters off the United States is nothing new.

CBS reports:

The ship, known as an AGI (Auxiliary, General Intelligence), made a port call in Cuba and has been working its way up the east coast. Currently the ship is off the coast of Delaware, well in international waters.

It is expected to continue north until it gets to the sub base at New London, Conn., then turn around and head south toward Cuba.

Defense Department spokeswoman Lt. Col. Valerie Henderson told Snopes.com that the ship has not violated any laws, adding that the United States “respects the freedom of navigation exercised by all nations beyond the territorial sea of a coastal state.”

Earlier this month, Russian jets buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea.

In 2015, a Russian research ship believed to be mapping U.S. communications cables passed Florida on its way toward Cuba.

The same year five Chinese warships were in the Bering Sea off Alaska when then President Obama was in northern Alaska to discuss climate change.

At the time, the military said it was aware of the ships in international waters and didn’t consider them a threat.

Military officials say it’s common for foreign powers to test the United States.