Th Russian navy's intelligence-gathering ship Viktor Leonov was observed traveling along the U.S. east coast Monday, well outside U.S. territorial waters. The same ship was seen in February near U.S. naval bases in Virginia and Connecticut. Photo courtesy of the Russian Ministry of Defense

March 16 (UPI) -- A Russian spy ship spotted in February off the U.S. east coast reappeared off the coast of Georgia, a U.S. military official said.

The unidentified military official told NBC News that the Russian Navy's SSV-175 Viktor Leonov, an AGI-class trawler designed as a traveling radio-listening post, was seen 20 nautical miles off the coast on Monday, near the U.S. Navy submarine base at King's Bay, Ga. The ship was traveling northward and well outside of U.S. territorial waters as it conducted a legal routine transit. It is expected to travel up the eastern seaboard and then head to a port of call in Jamaica.


The same ship was seen in February as it passed a naval base in Virginia and a submarine base in Connecticut. It caused controversy at the time because its voyage came as Russian jets buzzed a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea and the United States accused Russia of deploying cruise missiles in violation of an arms control treaty.

Monday's passage provoked little notice from Washington.

"We are about as concerned this time as we are every other tome they do this," the official commented.