CUBA TO HOST RUSSIAN VESSELS, INCLUDING A NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE AMIDST US-RUSSIA TENSIONS

Next week, four Russian vessels, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will dock in Havana, Cuban officials announced. According to Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the vessels, which do not carry nuclear weapons, will arrive in the Cuban capital between June 12 and 17, and their presence “does not represent a threat to the region.”

This notable deployment of the powerful nuclear submarine Kazan and three other naval vessels near the United States coincides with heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine. The proximity of Cuba and the US, approximately 145 km (90 miles) at their closest point, adds to the geopolitical significance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently suggested that Moscow might take “asymmetrical” actions if Western nations, including Germany and the US, supply Ukraine with weapons that are used against Russian territory. He indicated that the use of advanced missile technology by Ukraine could be seen as direct involvement in the conflict.

While the US and its allies have asserted that their weapons aid to Ukraine is intended for use in border areas where Russia has launched attacks, a US official mentioned that Russia plans to conduct naval exercises in the Caribbean. Although Washington does not perceive the Russian fleet’s arrival as a threat, the US Navy will monitor the exercises.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry detailed that the Russian fleet will consist of the nuclear submarine Kazan, the frigate Gorshkov, the fleet oil tanker Pashin, and the salvage tug Nikolay Chiker. During their arrival in Havana, one of the ships will fire 21 salvos in salute, to be reciprocated by Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Relations between Russia and Cuba have strengthened since a 2022 meeting between Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Putin. Last month, Diaz-Canel attended the May 9 military parade on Red Square in Moscow. Historically, Cuba was a crucial ally of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, notably during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which led to the ongoing US trade embargo on Cuba.