A fleet of four Russian naval vessels, including the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the Kazan nuclear-powered submarine, arrived in Havana Bay, Cuba, on Wednesday. The visit is seen as a show of force amid heightened tensions between Russia and Western nations due to the war in Ukraine. The ships performed a 21-gun salute to signal their presence, reciprocated from Havana’s La Cabaña fortress.

The vessels, equipped with advanced weapons such as hypersonic Zircon missiles, had conducted missile drills in the Atlantic before reaching Cuba, which lies approximately 90 miles from Florida. Despite the Kazan being nuclear-powered, Cuba’s foreign ministry stated that none of the ships carry nuclear weapons and emphasized that the visit poses no regional threat.

The United States is closely monitoring the situation but does not consider the presence of Russian ships an immediate threat. This visit is interpreted by experts as a strategic move by Russia to demonstrate its military reach as ongoing global tensions persist. The Russian warships are expected to remain in the Caribbean, with possible stops in Venezuela, a close ally of both Russia and Cuba.