Four Russian ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, are set to visit Havana between June 12 and June 17, according to Cuban officials, Associated Press reports.
This visit is framed as part of the “historically friendly relations” between Russia and Cuba and comes amid heightened tensions over Western military support for Ukraine. The Cuban foreign ministry assured that the ships would not carry nuclear weapons and pose no threat to the region. The visiting Russian ships include the frigate “Gorshkov,” the nuclear-powered submarine “Kazan,” the fleet oil tanker “Pashin,” and the salvage tug “Nikolai Chiker.”
This development follows reports from US officials about Russian warships and aircraft heading to the Caribbean for a military exercise, seen as a response to US support for Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has hinted at taking “asymmetrical steps” globally in response to the US allowing Ukraine to use American weapons against Russia.
