According to Cuban officials, four Russian warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, are scheduled to arrive in Havana next week. The officials cited the long-standing friendly relations between Russia and Cuba as the reason for the visit. This comes at a time when tensions are rising due to Western military support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
Cuba’s foreign ministry announced in a statement that the ships will be visiting Havana from June 12 to June 17. They emphasized that none of the ships will be equipped with nuclear weapons and reassured that their presence poses no threat to the region.
In a recent development, it has been reported that U.S. officials have been closely monitoring Russian warships and aircraft that were anticipated to reach the Caribbean for a military exercise. Interestingly, this announcement comes just a day after the initial revelation by U.S. authorities. According to reports, the exercise is said to be a component of a larger Russian reaction to the United States’ backing of Ukraine.
Reports indicate that the upcoming exercises may involve Russian long-range bombers conducting flights along the U.S. East Coast, as shared by CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. According to Martin, it has been five years since Russian warships made port calls in Cuba and warplanes flew along the East Coast simultaneously. Although these events have occurred individually in the past, this will be a unique occurrence.
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According to U.S. officials, the Russian military presence has been observed, but it is not causing any concern. Meanwhile, the situation unfolds amidst Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hint at potential retaliatory actions in other parts of the world. This comes in response to President Biden’s authorization for Ukraine to employ U.S.-supplied weaponry to defend Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, by striking inside Russia.
Martin pointed out that the four warships in Cuba are significantly smaller in scale compared to the exercises the U.S. military has been carrying out with its NATO allies in Europe. According to sources, this is not being viewed as a direct threat to the United States.
According to Martin, the U.S. military will closely monitor the exercises. According to Martin, the United States has a relatively small presence in the Caribbean at the moment. However, due to the strategic positioning of military bases along the East and Gulf Coasts, the U.S. has the capability to rapidly deploy ships and aircraft to the region if the need arises.
Cuba’s Foreign Ministry has announced the arrival of four Russian ships: the frigate “Gorshkov,” the nuclear-powered submarine “Kazan,” the fleet oil tanker “Pashin,” and the salvage tug “Nikolai Chiker.”
As the fleet arrives at the port of Havana, a salute of 21 salvos will be fired from one of the ships, reciprocated by an artillery battery of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, according to the foreign ministry.
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