After Russian naval ships arrived in Cuba’s capital Havana for a port visit, a nuclear-powered US military attack submarine arrived off the coast of the Caribbean state. The USS Helena was sent to Guantánamo Bay as part of a previously planned maneuver, the responsible regional command (Southcom) announced on Thursday. This is a routine visit.
When the Russian frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” arrived on Wednesday, 21 salvos were fired, local media reported. A nuclear submarine was also spotted off the coast.
According to the Cuban government, the reason for the visit from June 12 to 17 is the historical friendship between the two countries. However, US media reported that Russia was planning military exercises in the Caribbean. A Russian oil tanker and a salvage tug were also expected in Havana. According to official information, none of the ships are said to have nuclear weapons on board.
Havana is only about 170 kilometers from Key West in the US state of Florida. According to the US government, Russian Navy operations off Cuba have been observed in the past. The government is following developments very closely, but does not believe that there is a threat. Russia will probably repeat such operations in the future. According to the US newspaper “Miami Herald”, the US Navy also deployed three destroyers, a coast guard ship and a maritime surveillance aircraft to observe the Russian ships.