NATO ships are currently escorting a Russian naval contingent heading towards Cuba. The convoy includes American warships USS Truxtun, USS Donald Cook, and Piedra CG (758); Canadian Navy ship HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332); French Navy high seas patrol vessel Teriieroo A Teriierooiterai (P780); and the Frigate La Fayette (FS Guepratte F714).
The Russian warships, en route to Cuba, recently conducted drills in the Atlantic, demonstrating Moscow’s commitment to projecting power amid ongoing tensions with the West over Ukraine.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the Kazan nuclear-powered submarine participated in an exercise simulating a missile strike on a group of enemy ships. This drill involved a computer simulation targeting sea vessels over 600 kilometres away.
The Admiral Gorshkov, equipped with new Zircon hypersonic missiles, plays a crucial role in Russia’s naval strategy.
The missiles, designed for Russian cruisers, frigates, and submarines, can target both enemy ships and ground positions.
Vladimir Putin has highlighted the Zircon’s capabilities, emphasising its ability to penetrate any existing anti-missile defences by traveling nine times faster than the speed of sound and reaching over 1,000 kilometres.
Accompanying the Admiral Gorshkov and the Kazan are two support vessels, all set to visit Havana as part of what Cuban officials describe as “historically friendly relations” between Russia and Cuba.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Russian warships, present in Havana from Wednesday until June 17, carry no nuclear weapons and assured their presence poses no threat to the region.
The Cuban statement follows a US announcement tracking Russian warships and aircraft expected in the Caribbean for a military exercise.
While Russia has previously sent warships to the Caribbean, this visit comes after Putin’s warning that Moscow could provide similar weapons to adversaries of the West worldwide if Ukraine’s Western allies allow Kyiv to use their weapons against targets in Russia.
