Three Russian warships arrived in Cuban waters on Saturday, Moscow’s second maritime voyage in as many months, reflecting growing ties between Russia and Cuba.
The naval group, consisting of training ships, patrol frigates and refueling tankers, is scheduled to remain in Cuba’s port of Havana until July 30. The arrival of the ships comes just weeks after another Russian fleet, including powerful nuclear submarines, visited Havana last month as part of planned military exercises.
U.S. officials closely monitored the mid-June military exercises and said the four-ship group posed no real threat. Experts at the time described the warships’ Caribbean voyage as a symbolic show of force in recognition of continued U.S. and Western support for Ukraine.
Cuban defense officials announced the latest port visit earlier this week, calling it a “historic tradition” and a sign of “friendship and cooperation,” but neither government elaborated on the purpose of the latest deployment.
Cuba welcomed the Baltic Fleet with a cannon salute on Saturday. The fleet’s arrival sparked excitement among the public, who strolled through port streets on Saturday to catch a glimpse of the fleet, and officials announced that the Russian training ship Smolny would be open to passengers on Sunday and Monday.
“This is a friendly thing, a bond between Russia and Cuba,” said 29-year-old bystander Maydelis Pérez, pointing out the massive warship to her three children. “It’s a family outing.”
Russia is a longtime ally of Venezuela and Cuba, and its warships and aircraft regularly sail into the Caribbean and dock in Havana. While Cuba is not a key player in Russian foreign policy, experts say Russia sees it as strategically important because of its continued influence among developing countries and because its port is less than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Florida.
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Cuba and Russia were Cold War allies and both currently subject to tough U.S. sanctions but have strengthened political and economic ties in recent years, particularly as Moscow seeks to bolster diplomatic support for the war in Ukraine and Havana seeks any economic assistance it can get.
Cuba has consistently abstained from UN resolutions on the invasion of Ukraine and has avoided criticising Moscow’s war efforts. Russia has sold vast amounts of oil to Cuba, but the country suffers periodic power outages due to the US economic blockade.