Russian warships, including a nuclear submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, says the Cuban Government

By The Associated Press

Four Russian ships, including a nuclear submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, Cuban officials said this Thursday, who made reference to the “historically friendly relations” between both nations, and as tensions intensify over Western military support. to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated in a press release that the ships will be in Havana between June 12 and 17, noting that none of them will carry nuclear weapons and assured that their presence “does not represent a threat to the region”.

The announcement came a day after U.S. officials said Washington had been tracking Russian warships and planes that were expected to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. They said the exercise would be part of a Broader Russian response to US support for Ukraine.

Officials said the Russian military presence was notable but not concerning. However, it comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Moscow could take “asymmetric measures” in other parts of the world in response to President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to attack inside Russia in order to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city.

The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the four Russian ships are the Gorshkov frigate, the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the oil tanker Pashin and the rescue tug Nikolai Chiker.

[Rusia dice que la “guerra híbrida” con EE.UU. a través de Ucrania terminará en una humillación como la de Vietnam]

During the arrival of the fleet to the port of Havana, 21 salutes will be fired from one of the ships as a salute to the nation, which will be reciprocated by an artillery battery of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .