On the way to Cuba

Russian warships practicing off the US coast

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov trained the use of high-precision missile weapons with the help of computer models - off the coast of Florida.

(Bild: APA/AP)

While the Russian and Belarusian armed forces are practising their nuclear readiness, a group of Russian warships - including a nuclear submarine - are on their way to Cuba. This naval unit also held weapons exercises - off the US coast! Previously, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had threatened to provide enemies of the West with weapons similar to those Ukraine receives from NATO.

Putin issued this subtle warning a few days ago at the annual economic forum in St. Petersburg. According to a statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry on Thursday, the ships in question are a frigate, a nuclear submarine, an oil tanker and a salvage tug. None of the ships have nuclear weapons on board and their stay in the port of Havana poses no threat to the region. Rather, it was an "official port visit" to Havana as part of the "historic friendship" between the two countries. According to reports, it is therefore a matter of transporting weapons to the backyard of the United States.

Cruise ship passenger surprised by "how close they were"
However, this is the first such maneuver since the invasion of Ukraine. The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, announced that the arrival in Havana is expected today, Wednesday. The route of the warships is being closely monitored by the USA. Guests on a cruise ship off the coast of Florida also noticed the four Russian ships, as reported by the news channel CNN. "I was surprised at how close they were to the coast," the TV station quotes one passenger as saying.

The Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of the exercise. The crew of the nuclear submarine Kazan can be seen here.

(Bild: APA/AP)

What he did not know was that the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, the nuclear submarine Kazan and the other ships of the Northern Fleet were not only passing by, but were also training the "use of high-precision missile weapons against naval targets with the help of computer models", as the Russian Ministry of Defense states. 

US government: Moscow wants to send a message
The US government sees the exercises as a response to the fact that it gave Ukraine permission last week to use American weapons on a limited scale against targets on Russian territory, according to a report in the Miami Herald newspaper last week. According to the assessment, Moscow wanted to send a message and worry the USA with increased activity in the vicinity of the United States. Havana is only around 170 kilometers away from Key West in the US state of Florida.