Analysis: Why Russia has its eye on Hawaii

While American policymakers have been vocal about wanting to keep an eye on China’s growing presence in the Pacific, over the last year it’s been Russia’s military operating most overtly near Hawaii — the nerve center for American military operations in the region.

Hawaii has a complicated relationship with Russia, which is simultaneously a military rival for U.S. forces in the islands and a key player in supplying oil that Hawaii depends on to power its electrical grids. The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s 2020 State of Hawaii Data Book listed Russia as the state’s No. 3 international trading partner for imports.

That attracts both Russian ships and spies.

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/02/13/hawaii-news/analysis-why-russia-has-its-eye-on-hawaii/