Russian Warships Make Routine Visit To Cuba

By Nelson Acosta

HAVANA, July 27 (Reuters) – Havana residents watched from shore on Saturday as Russian warships arrived for the second time in as many months, in a go to that Cuba referred to as routine.

Cuban authorities fired pictures into the air to sign their welcome, whereas curious fishermen watched from Havana’s waterside promenade because the ships superior up the bay. Russian residents have been additionally among the many few up early to see the fleet’s arrival.

The patrol ship Neustrahimiy, coaching vessel Smolniy and assist vessels, all from the Baltic Fleet, are scheduled to depart on Tuesday.

A short assertion by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces described their arrival as routine.

A Russian nuclear submarine, frigate and assist ships in June additionally flexed Moscow’s muscular tissues within the port of Havana, lower than 100 miles (160 km) from Florida.

“Russia’s deployments within the Atlantic pose no direct menace or concern to the US,” a U.S. Northern Command spokesperson mentioned, including the command monitored all approaches to North America.

Tensions between the US and Russia have elevated since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Russian naval exercise – although routine within the Atlantic – has ratcheted up due to U.S. assist for Ukraine, U.S. officers say.

Concurrently, relations between Chilly Battle allies Russia and Cuba have markedly improved because the Communist-run nation battles an financial disaster it expenses is due primarily to U.S. sanctions.

Excessive-level contacts between the nations have elevated to a stage not seen because the fall of Cuba’s former benefactor, the Soviet Union, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visiting Moscow 4 occasions.

Russia has despatched oil, flour and rising numbers of vacationers to the Caribbean nation, which is in need of money and items. Residents endure by every day energy outages and different travails, leading to scattered protests and document migration.

Ana Garces, a 78-year-old retiree, informed Reuters she remembered the Soviet Union was the one nation to assist Cuba through the 1962 missile disaster, the height of tensions with Washington when the world teetered getting ready to nuclear struggle.

“We’re very grateful,” she mentioned. “Why ought to we not obtain it with open arms? That is friendship. Every kind of ships have entered right here.”

“It exhibits how different nations do assist us and takes away somewhat of the world’s mentality about our nation,” added her husband, 71-year-old retiree Rolando Perez.

(Reporting by Nelson Acosta and Marc Frank; extra reporting by Reuters TV and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Enhancing by Diane Craft and Rod Nickel)