The Cuban Foreign Ministry confirmed this Thursday (06/06/2024) that a Russian naval detachment of three ships and a nuclear submarine will visit the port of Havana between June 12 and 17, explaining that the “visit corresponds to the historical friendly relations between Cuba and the Russian Federation and strictly adheres to the international regulations” subscribed by Havana.
The note does not speak of military exercises, compared to the information published a day earlier in which it was stated, according to US sources, that Russian ships were traveling to the Caribbean Sea to participate in maneuvers and that they could stop at ports in Cuba and Venezuela. Washington said in a statement that it did not see the deployment as a threat, but its Navy would monitor Russian movements.
“None of the ships carry nuclear weapons, so their stopover in our country does not represent a threat to the region,” clarified the Cuban Foreign Ministry, which also indicated that “visits by naval units from other countries are a historical practice.” with nations with whom the country maintains “relations of friendship and collaboration.”
Salvages and courtesy visits
The ships that make up the Russian naval detachment are, according to the statement, the Gorshkov frigate – the lead ship of the latest generation of frigates in the Russian Navy -, the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the fleet oil tanker Pashin and the tugboat rescue Nikolai Chiker.
The statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry indicated that upon its arrival at the port of Havana on June 12, the frigate Gorshkov will fire 21 salutes “as a salute to the Nation”, a gesture that will be replicated from the fortresses in the capital’s bay. He added that during the Russian visit the sailors will carry out a program of activities with courtesy visits and tours of historical and cultural interest.
DZC (EFE, Reuters)
#Cuba
