The Coast Guard says that a Russian Navy spy ship, the Viktor Leonov, is operating in an “unsafe manner” in international waters off the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. But what’s the Viktor Leonov up to, and is it a threat?

To the latter question, the simple answer is no, this isn’t a threat. Although the Viktor Leonov is occasionally running without lights or radio communication with nearby vessels, the Coast Guard is warning civilian ships to steer clear of it. That should mitigate the risk of any collision.