A Russian nuclear-powered submarine and several naval vessels arrived in Cuba on Wednesday for a five-day visit to the communist island, situated near Florida’s coast. This move is seen as a demonstration of strength amidst escalating tensions between the US and Russia.
The submarine Kazan, confirmed by Cuba to not be carrying nuclear weapons, arrived alongside the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, as well as an oil tanker and a salvage tug.
Both the Kazan and Admiral Gorshkov, one of Russia’s most advanced warships, were visible near Havana, approximately 90 miles (145 km) from Florida’s tip.
The tanker Pashin and the tug, flying the Russian tricolor flag, entered the harbor early Wednesday morning as reported by an AFP correspondent.
In Moscow, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, underscoring the deepening ties between the two former Cold War allies.
The presence of Russian military assets, notably a potent nuclear submarine, in such close proximity to the United States comes amid heightened tensions over the conflict in Ukraine, where the Ukrainian government, backed by Western nations, is resisting a Russian invasion.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin during Russia’s annual May 9 military parade in Moscow’s Red Square.
During the Cold War, Cuba was a key ally for the Soviet Union, and the deployment of Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuban soil led to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, a pivotal moment in US-Soviet relations that brought the world to the brink of war.
Since a meeting between Diaz-Canel and Putin in 2022, relations between Russia and Cuba have strengthened significantly.