Cuban officials announced on Thursday that four Russian vessels, one of which is a nuclear-powered submarine, are scheduled to dock in Havana next week. They cited the historically friendly relations between both nations, particularly amidst escalating tensions over Western military support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

In a news release, Cuba's foreign ministry stated that the ships would be in Havana from June 12 to June 17. They emphasised that none of the vessels would be carrying nuclear weapons and assured that their presence posed no threat to the region.

The announcement followed a statement by US officials who revealed that Washington had been monitoring Russian warships and aircraft expected to reach the Caribbean for a military drill. They indicated that this exercise would be part of a wider Russian reaction to US backing for Ukraine.

US officials said that the presence of the Russian military was noteworthy but not alarming. Nonetheless, this development coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin's suggestion that Moscow might take "asymmetrical steps" in other parts of the world in response to President Joe Biden's decision to permit Ukraine to employ US-provided weaponry to target locations within Russia, with the aim of safeguarding Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

The uncommon positioning of the Russian military in such proximity to the US, especially with the presence of a powerful submarine, occurs against the backdrop of heightened tensions surrounding the conflict in Ukraine, where the government, supported by the West, is battling a Russian incursion. Additionally, the visit of the Russian vessels to Cuba will coincide with President Biden's attendance at the G7 leaders summit in Italy.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel met with Putin last month for the annual 9 May military parade on Red Square outside the Kremlin.

In the Cold War era, Cuba held significant strategic importance as a client state for the Soviet Union. The placement of Soviet nuclear missile sites on the island led to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, a moment of intense confrontation between Washington and Moscow, bringing them to the brink of war.

Since a meeting between Diaz-Canel and Putin in 2022, relations between Russia and Cuba have grown stronger.

During the Russian fleet's arrival at the port of Havana, a salute to the nation will be conducted with 21 salvoes fired from one of the ships. As stated by the foreign ministry, this gesture will be reciprocated by an artillery battery from Cuba's revolutionary armed forces.

Image source: Russian Defence Ministry Press