Arrival in Cuba of the Russian frigate Gorshkov
The Russian frigate Gorshkov arrived at Cuban shores, one of a group of vessels that will arrive in the Caribbean nation in the next few days.
A fleet of Russian Navy vessels, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Cuba on Wednesday morning.
This arrival is a sign of strengthening ties between the two Cold War allies.
The Russian frigate Gorshkov, part of this fleet of four ships, was the first to arrive at the port of Havana.
Upon entering the harbor, the Russian frigate Gorshkov fired a 21-gun salute, which was answered by the Cubans with cannon fire from an 18th century colonial fort built by the Spanish to guard Havana harbor.
The Russian frigate and nuclear-powered submarine that will visit Cuba are practicing the use of high-precision weapons in the Atlantic.
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Arrival in Cuba of the Russian frigate Gorshkov
The Gorshkov is one of the most modern ships of the Russian Navy. It is followed by the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, a rescue tug and an oil tanker, which have not yet arrived in Havana.
This is Russia’s biggest show of force with its long-time ally Cuba in many years. The U.S. believes the Kazan does not carry nuclear weapons on board, according to a U.S. official.
The ships will conduct a five-day official visit to the Caribbean island – a Russian show of force just 144 kilometers from Florida, as tensions rise between the U.S. and Russia over the war in Ukraine.
According to a Russian diplomatic source, Russia’s ambassador to Havana will preside over a welcoming ceremony for the four ships.
Cubans will be allowed to visit the frigate after the planned arrival of the convoy of ships, a Russian diplomatic source told CNN.
U.S. officials told CNN that the U.S. military had deployed ships and aircraft to monitor Russian military maneuvers in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and have been following the Russian ships as they transit the Atlantic in recent days en route to Cuba.
