4 Russian naval vessels – together with a nuclear-powered submarine and a frigate – have arrived in Cuba, in what’s seen as a present of power amid tensions with the West over the battle in Ukraine.
The vessels are anchored on the Havana Bay – some 90 miles (145km) from the US state of Florida.
Russia’s defence ministry says the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the Kazan submarine are each carriers of superior weapons, together with hypersonic missiles Zircon. They earlier carried out missile drills within the Atlantic.
However Cuba’s international ministry says not one of the vessels has nuclear arms on board, and their five-day go to doesn’t pose a menace to the area.
US officers say they’re intently monitoring the go to.
Early on a gray and overcast morning, the Russian vessels entered Havana Bay, flanked by smaller assist vessels, to a 21-gun salute.
In a press release, Russia’s defence minister mentioned the go to was unofficial, permitting the vessels’ crews to “relaxation and get acquainted with native points of interest”.
Russia has despatched warships to Cuba prior to now and the 2 nations are long-standing allies – however the timing of those specific workout routines stands out.
Coming amid rising tensions over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the operation is being interpreted by some as sabre-rattling by Moscow.
Definitely, it seems to ship a fairly clear message from the Kremlin to Washington about what they think about to be meddling of their yard.
The go to is a crucial image of assist to the communist-run authorities in Cuba and its socialist ally, Venezuela, the place the warships might sail to subsequent after they end in Havana.
From the US perspective, officers have indicated that they’re conscious of the go to – however don’t think about that it poses a menace to the US, including that their understanding was that the nuclear-powered submarine was not carrying nuclear weapons.
In essence, whereas the go to could also be thought-about broadly routine, the context of wider world hostilities during which it’s happening is something however.
