HAVANA (AP) — Four Russian ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, Cuban officials said Thursday, citing “historically friendly relations” between the two countries and escalating tensions. tensions around Western military support for Ukraine at home. war with Russia.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ships would be in Havana between June 12 and 17, emphasizing that none of them would carry nuclear weapons and assuring that their presence “does not represent a threat to the region.
The announcement came a day after U.S. officials said Washington tracked Russian warships and planes who were to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. They said the exercise would be part of a broader Russian response to U.S. support for Ukraine.
Officials said the Russian military presence was notable but not concerning. However, this is taking place as the Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested that Moscow could take “asymmetric measures” elsewhere in the world in response to the president Joe Biden’s decision allowing Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry said the four Russian ships are the frigate “Gorshkov”, the nuclear submarine “Kazan”, the fleet tanker “Pashin” and the rescue tugboat “Nikolai Chiker”.
When the fleet arrives at the port of Havana, 21 salvos will be fired from one of the ships as a salute to the nation, which will be returned by an artillery battery of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, a indicated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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