Russian Spy Ship Spotted Off Coast of Delaware

It appears to be doing a patrol of the entire Eastern Seaboard, though well out in international waters.

SS Viktor Leonov in Havana, Cuba

The Russian warship Viktor Leonov enters the bay in Havana, Cuba, in 2015. This ship was spotted off the coast of Delaware today. AP Photo: Desmond Boylan

A Russian spy ship was spotted in international waters off the coast of Delaware, CBS News is reporting.

FOX News reports the ship was the SSV-175 Viktor Leonov, and was spotted about 70 miles off the coast of the First State. The U.S. boundary is 12 nautical miles.

CBS reports the ship is expected to head north until it gets to the sub base in New London, Conn., then turn and head south towards Cuba.

The station also says this type of incident is nothing new; in September 2015 a Russian ship was spotted off the coast of Florida and was believed to have been mapping U.S. undersea cables.

The Viktor Leonov is a Vishnya-class intelligence ship constructed by the Soviet Navy in the 1980s.