Brian McDonald
Four Russian warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, arrive in Havana next weekCuban officials said Thursday, citing “historically friendly relations” between the two nations, and as tensions rise over Western military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a press release that the ships will be in Havana between June 12 and 17, noting that none of them will carry nuclear weapons and assured that their presence “does not represent a threat to the region.”
The announcement came a day after US officials said Washington was tracking Russian warships and aircraft due to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. They said the exercise would be part of Russia’s broader response to U.S. support for Ukraine.
These exercises will likely include long-range Russian bombers flying along the U.S. East Coast, according to David Martin, national security correspondent for CBS News. Russian warships have made stops in Cuba before, and warplanes have also flown along the East Coast in the past, but this will be the first time in five years that both will happen at the same time, Martin said.
ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. officials said the Russian military presence was notable but not worrisome. However, it is happening as Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Moscow could take “asymmetric measures” in other parts of the world in response to President Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to attack inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.
Martin noted that the presence of four warships in Cuba “is nothing compared to the scale of the exercises that the US military has been conducting with its NATO allies in Europe. Therefore, this is in no way considered a threat direct to the United States”.
Still, the US military will be following the exercises “very closely,” Martin added. Although the US presence in the Caribbean is currently very weak, the presence of military bases along the entire East and Gulf Coast means the US could send ships and planes to the area quickly if necessary, Martin said.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry said the four Russian ships are the frigate “Gorshkov”, the nuclear submarine “Kazan”, the oil tanker “Pashin” and the salvage tug “Nikolai Chiker”.
During the fleet’s arrival at the port of Havana, 21 volleys will be fired from one of the ships in salute to the nation, which will be reciprocated by an artillery battery from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
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