Russian spy ship reappears off US coast

A Russian spy ship has reappeared, sailing just 20 miles south of the US Navy submarine base at Kings Bay in the state of Georgia, media reports said.

According to US officials the ship will make one more run up and down the east coast before heading to a scheduled port call in Jamaica, CBS News reported.

They Leonov made a similar journey along the East Coast in February, sailing close to a US naval base in Virginia and Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut, which the Navy describes as the "Home of the Submarine Force".

Known as an AGI (Auxiliary, General Intelligence) trawler, the Viktor Leonov is about 300 feet long and was built for spying. The ship's sophisticated surveillance equipment can intercept radar, radio and other electronic signals.

In February, a group of Russian jets buzzed a US destroyer in the Black Sea and the US accused Russia of secretly deploying cruise missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead in violation of a major arms-control treaty.

Commenting on the development, US President Donald Trump said, "The greatest thing I could do is shoot that ship that's 30 miles offshore right out of the water," but declined to discuss any real response to the provocations.

--IANS

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