Russian warships in Cuba in show of force against the West

by Mick the Ram

In what has been seen as a deliberate tactic to demonstrate its strength and capabilities to the West, Russian naval vessels, including a nuclear-powered submarine and a frigate, have anchored themselves in Cuba’s Havana Bay.

Their arrival in the region, which is some 90 miles from the US state of Florida, follows an exercise in the Atlantic which saw them conduct missile drills.

They are planning further military exercises in the Caribbean, with their defence minister remarking that amongst the warships are some that carry advanced weapons, including hypersonic missiles.

However, in an attempt to ease tensions, Cuba’s foreign ministry was quick to reassure the public that none of the vessels has nuclear arms on board, and that their five-day visit does not pose a threat.

On the same day as the fleet entered Cuban waters, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov thanked the Cuban authorities for their position on Ukraine, as he hosted his counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez, for talks in Moscow.

Just last month it emerged that there is evidence which suggests that the Russians have in all likelihood, been recruiting Cuban nationals to fight in its army in Ukraine.

Officials in the US officials announced that they were fully aware of the visit and would be closely monitoring activities.

Long-standing friends

This is certainly not the first time that Russia has sent warships to Cuba and the two countries are long-standing allies.

Nevertheless, the timing of these exercises really stands out, as they come less than two weeks after President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use weapons provided by the US to launch protective strikes for their second-largest city, Kharkiv, against the Russians.

At that time President Putin suggested that his military could respond with “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere in the world, so naturally this is being interpreted as being connected to that move, and it does appear to be a clear message from the Kremlin to Washington.

Fleet receive salute from the island

The outlook was grey and overcast when three ships slowly crossed the mouth of Havana Bay, accompanied by small boats, which were guiding them through the narrow channel.

The flagship frigate, The Admiral Gorshkov was adorned with the Russian and Cuban flags, with its sailors in dress uniform standing in military formation as they approached the island, which gave it a 21 cannon salute as a greeting.

Provocative move

Whilst the visit might be passed off as just routine, the context around it most definitely should not.

Provocation is likely to be the motivating factor behind their arrival, and it will undoubtedly have rattled a few individuals and will inevitably keep the US military on high alert for as long as they remain close to their “backyard”.

Demonstration of support as well as strength

The visit is also an important demonstration of support to the communist-run government in Cuba and its socialist ally, Venezuela. It is understood that the warships could well head there once they conclude their exercises in the Caribbean.

Cubans joining Russian army

Last autumn passport details belonging to more than two hundred Cubans who had allegedly joined the Russian army, were leaked online by a pro-Ukrainian platform by the name of “InformNapalm”.

They had apparently been obtained by hacking the emails of a Russian military recruitment officer in Tula, south of Moscow.

Some of these individuals have seemingly posted photos of themselves wearing Russian military uniform, or in locations that bear Russian street signs or number plates.

Ukraine have put out estimates that indicate more than half a million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the war began back in early 2022.

Recruiting foreigners to replace high losses is something that the Russians seem content to undertake and the operation is relatively straightforward in the case of Cubans, due to the fact that they do not need a visa to travel there and direct flights to Moscow make the trip easier.