A Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is test-launched by the Russian military at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region, Russia, in this still image taken from a video released on April 20, 2022. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
A Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is test-launched by the Russian military at the Plesetsk cosmodrome in Arkhangelsk region, Russia, in this still image taken from a video released on April 20, 2022. Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Reuters / RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY

KEY POINTS

  • "Deadliest Catch's" crew captured a video of what appeared to be a Russian missile launch
  • The purported missile moved toward Anchorage, Alaska, at a speed of 2,000 miles per hour
  • The launch occurred at the same time another fishing boat on the show encountered a Russian vessel

The crew of Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" may have witnessed a Russian missile launch while filming off the coast of Alaska.

In an episode that aired Wednesday night, one of the show's featured fishing vessels, the F/V Wizard, encountered a Russian ship that was trawling in U.S. waters and endangering the Wizard's fishing gear, Yahoo Entertainment reported.

Captain Johnathan Hillstrand of the F/V Time Bandit, another "Deadliest Catch" ship, attempted to reinforce the U.S.' claim to the fishing grounds and encourage the Russian boat to stay in its home waters.

The Russian ship ended up going back to Russia's waters, but what appeared to be a rocket or a missile was then launched from the Russian side of the border.

"Did Russia shoot a f-----g missile, dude?" Hillstrand said in a trailer for the episode.

Another member of the crew responded, "It's coming right for us, captain!"

Some of the crew members on board the Time Bandit feared that the object that was launched was aimed at them, while others observed it through binoculars.

Hillstrand later noted that the projectile moved toward the direction of Anchorage, Alaska.

Hillstrand posted on Twitter a photo of the supposed missile dated Feb. 28 and claimed that it was moving at 2,000 miles per hour.

It was unclear if what the "Deadliest Catch" crew witnessed was actually a Russian missile.

Keith Colburn, the captain of the Wizard, claimed that it was a rocket booster.

"You've gotta wonder what the hell is going on. But I'll tell you what, I'm not giving away our fishing rounds. So bring it on, Russia. Time Bandit and Wizard, team U.S.A.," Colburn said.

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Social media users suggested that the projectile the "Deadliest Catch" crew saw might have been an intercontinental ballistic missile that Russia was testing. Others said that it might have been a Russian supply mission for the International Space Station (ISS).

Russia launched a Progress 81 freighter to the space station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on June 3 using one of its indigenous Soyuz rockets, according to Space.com.

It carried 5,551 pounds of supplies for the ISS' seven-person Expedition 67 crew, which included 3,214 pounds of dry cargo like food, clothing and gear, among other things.

As the date of the "Deadliest Catch" crew's encounter with the Russian fishing boat was never officially disclosed, it was difficult to determine whether or not this was what they witnessed that day.

The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Mark Vande Hei of NASA and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan April 9
The Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft carrying the crew formed of Mark Vande Hei of NASA and cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan April 9, 2021. Reuters / NASA