US Coast Guard says Russian naval vessels crossed into buffer zone off Alaska

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says it tracked a group of Russian naval vessels as they crossed into U.S. waters in off Alaska in an apparent effort to avoid sea ice, a move that is permitted under international rules and customs. In a news release Monday, the Coast Guard said the Russian vessels consisted of two submarines, a frigate and a tug boat. The encounter took place northwest of Point Hope. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter crew witnessed the Russian vessels cross the maritime boundary and venture 30 miles inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.