Russian warships' arrival in Havana seen as show of force amid Ukraine tensions

Russia's deployment of a warship fleet to Havana, Cuba, has raised eyebrows as a potential show of force in the region, further escalating tensions with the West over Ukraine.

Four vessels, including a nuclear-powered submarine Kazan and the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, entered Havana Bay early on Wednesday (June 12).

Upon arrival, the warships fired a 21-gun salute that was reciprocated from the battlements of La Cabaña, the Havana fortress where Che Guevara once had his office.

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On the way to Cuba this week, the Gorshkov and the Kazan had conducted missile drills in the Atlantic, testing precision missiles at targets at a range of more than 600 kms (370 miles), according to Russia’s ministry of defence.

According to the Cuban officials, such visits from friendly countries were usual practice and they said the Kazan carried no nuclear weapons and there was no threat to the region.

Havana is 100 miles from Key West, Florida, and the timing of the visit suggests more than standard practice, said William Leogrande, a professor at American University.

“The Russian warships visiting the region are Putin’s way of reminding Joe Biden that Moscow can challenge Washington in its own sphere of influence,” Leogrande told the AP.

Notably, the Kazan and Gorshkov are among Russia’s most modern warships, built in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

The submarine is believed to be the quietest in the Russian navy, and the Russian admiralty has said the frigate is capable of carrying their latest Zircon hypersonic missiles.

The vessels, including the tanker Pashin and the rescue tug Nikolai Chiker, left their home port in Russia’s Kola peninsula in mid-May.

US Navy ‘observes’ exercises

The US military had deployed ships and planes to monitor Russia’s military exercises in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, and has been following the Russian vessels as they transited the Atlantic in recent days en route to Cuba, according to US officials.

US Navy ships that have been tracking the Russian vessels include the USS Truxtun, the USS Donald Cook, and Coast Guard vessel the USCGC Stone, the US official confirmed to CNN.

A P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance plane was also deployed along with other air assetsto circle overhead the Russian vessels.

Canada has also deployed assets to monitor the activity, the official said.

Pentagon and State Department officials have stressed that the Russian activity is routine and poses no threat to the US, pointing out that Cuba hosted Russian ships annually from 2013 to 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)