As a fleet of Russian warships gathers for scheduled military exercises in the Caribbean, a U.S. Navy submarine has arrived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in a show of force.
Only one day after a Russian frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker, and a rescue tug crossed into Havana Bay following drills in the Atlantic Ocean, the USS Helena, a fast attack submarine, entered the waters close to the American base in Cuba, according to U.S. Southern Command.
According to a social media post by Southern Command, the stay is a part of a “routine port visit” as the submarine passes through its area.
The Russian drills, which are being tracked and observed by additional US ships, are not a danger to the US, according to Pentagon officials.
When questioned about the Russian drills on Wednesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh stated, “This is not a surprise. We’ve seen them do these type of port calls before. We of course take it seriously, but these exercises don’t pose a threat to the United States.”
Less than two weeks have passed since President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission to deploy weaponry supplied by the United States to launch strikes inside Russia in order to defend Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city. Then, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that his armed forces could react globally by taking “asymmetrical steps.”
Singh stated that increased Russian involvement in such international drills surrounding the United States wouldn’t be shocking. U.S. officials anticipate that the Russian ships will stay in the area through the summer and may even make a stop in Venezuela, where the drills are taking place in international seas.
Russia has been a longstanding supporter of Cuba and Venezuela, and its planes and warships have occasionally ventured into the Caribbean.
Since 2008, when a flotilla of Russian ships entered Cuban waters in what state media reported as the first such visit in nearly two decades, Russian ships have periodically docked in Havana.
One day prior to the commencement of negotiations between American and Cuban authorities over the restoration of diplomatic ties, a communications and reconnaissance ship unexpectedly docked in Havana in 2015.
