An Irish military patrol aircraft intercepted a Russian vessel that had anchored near critical undersea communication cables off Ireland’s northeast coast, The Journal reported.

A similar incident took place in the waters off the northeast coast earlier this year, and on March 20, the vessel reappeared off the Irish coast.

The vessel, which is linked to the Russian shadow fleet, had previously been investigated for suspicious activity in the Baltic Sea.

Having spotted it in its waters, the Irish Air Force sent a CASA 295 patrol aircraft.

The Airbus C295MPA aircraft, operated by the Irish Air Corps, was deployed after the ship was detected in the area.

After recording its presence, the Irish crew ordered the ship to leave, prompting it to weigh anchor and depart.

It remains unclear whether the vessel’s proximity to the cables was intentional or the result of navigational error.

The same vessel had been forced to leave the region by the Swedish and Danish navies earlier this month.

Ireland has encountered similar incidents in the past. In November, the Irish Navy expelled the Russian research vessel Yantar from the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Yantar was detected on November 14 east of Dublin and southwest of the Isle of Man, in an area near key undersea pipelines and energy and internet infrastructure.

It is officially classified as an auxiliary oceanographic research vessel carrying submersible vehicles.

It operates under the Russian Ministry of Defense and is not part of the Navy.