Russia sends a nuclear submarine and three other naval vessels to Cuba.
On Wednesday, four Russian Navy ships docked in Havana, Cuba, including an atomic-powered submarine named "Kasan." Other vessels that joined them were the frigate "Admiral Gorshkov," the tanker "Pashin," and the tugboat "Nikolai Chiker." Cuba's Foreign Ministry assured everyone that these ships are not carrying any nuclear weapons and pose "no threat to the region." They attributed this visit to international agreements and the historic friendship between Havana and Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry revealed that the crews conducted a precision missile exercise before docking at Havana. They also mentioned that the sailors would join several events happening in the city in the next few days.
The presence of Russian naval ships close to the United States is getting attention due to rising tensions between Russia and the West because of Russia's actions in Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesperson doesn't see this visit as a "threat to the United States." However, this isn't the first time warships from Russia visited the port. In fact, the US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, noticed that an atomic submarine has never been there before.
Relations between Russia and the communist government of Cuba have become more significant since 2022. In November 2022, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel made a trip to Moscow where he met with President Vladimir Putin. He promised to support Russia "unconditionally" in its fight against the West in April 2023. Cuba chose not to criticize the Ukrainian conflict.
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Despite the Russian Defense Ministry's confirmation of a precision missile exercise with the nuclear submarine "Kasan," Cuba's Foreign Ministry assured that no nuclear weapons were on board, and the ships posed no threat to the region. Despite the historical significance of Russian naval ships visiting Cuba, particularly the first time an atomic submarine has been present, the Pentagon and the US national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, have not labeled it as a threat to the United States.
