After Russian Nuclear Submarine ‘Roaring’ Near Florida, Its Baltic Fleet Now Projects Power In U.S. Backyard

On July 27, vessels from the Russian Baltic Fleet will arrive at the port of Havana in Cuba, a month after another Russian flotilla, which included a nuclear submarine, gained attention for docking in Cuba and holding military drills in the Caribbean.

The Cuban Defense Ministry reportedly announced on its Facebook page on July 25: “From July 27 to July 30, a group of ships of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Federation consisting of the training ship “Smolny,” the patrol ship “Neustrashimiy” and the oil tanker “Yelnya” will make a working visit to the port of Havana.”

The Ministry emphasized that the visit of foreign ships represented robustness in ties and ongoing cooperation with friendly countries. Additionally, it stated that Russian servicemen will meet Havana Governor Reynaldo Garcia Zapata and Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Naval Forces Luis Reyes López. In addition, the crews of the Russian ships will be shown the historical and cultural sights of the capital.

The Ministry further stated that the Cubans will be permitted to visit the ship ‘Smolny’ on July 28 and 29. Smolny-class ships were built for the Soviet Navy in the late 1970s to provide seagoing training facilities and are equipped with simple weaponry for self-defense and patrol activities.

The arrival of Russian ships comes more than a month after the naval strike group of the Northern Fleet, along with the nuclear submarine Kazan, the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, and other auxiliary vessels, entered the port of Havana. Though it is not uncommon for Russian ships to dock at ports of friendly countries, the June visit garnered significant attention when the Russian nuclear submarine surfaced near the US coastline on its way to Cuba.

From Norway to Cuba, the Russian flotilla led by Admiral Gorshkov equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles was monitored by a jittery NATO’s P-8 ‘Poseidon’ anti-submarine aircraft. The fleet’s arrival at the port of Havana was marked by the firing of 21 salvos from one of the Russian warships, a gesture that was reciprocated by an artillery battery from Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces. The submarine remained berthed in Cuba for five days after conducting drills in the Atlantic Ocean.

While the United States said the drills posed no immediate threat, military observers saw them as a show of force amid burgeoning tensions between the two countries. The Pentagon is keenly watching Russian military cooperation with Caribbean states since the region has traditionally been considered Washington’s backyard.

Cuba is among the few countries that has not joined the international sanctions regime on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. On the contrary, the relationship between the two states has improved since February 2022.

For Russia, sending naval vessels to these states is a means of strengthening military cooperation with friends and allies at a time when it remains largely isolated in the wake of the Ukraine War.

An Eventful Month For The Russian Navy

The Russian Navy is having quite an eventful month collaborating with its partners and allies ahead of its Navy Day on July 28.

Russian naval forces recently conducted a maritime security exercise with Iran in the Caspian Sea. The maneuvers involved Russian and Iranian naval ships and maritime aircraft. The two states have bolstered military relations in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow benefitting from the supply of Iranian Shahed-class drones.

The Russian Navy also conducted military drills and joint patrols with its close ally, China. Following the inauguration ceremony in Zhanjiang, Chinese and Russian naval troops conducted tactical coordination drills and military simulations on a map. In addition, the two sides carried out live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea.

The Russian defense ministry stated that during their sea maneuvers, the personnel of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the PLA Navy were to engage in combined air defense exercises and anti-submarine drills with the participation of PLA naval anti-submarine planes. Additionally, Russian and Chinese naval vessels patrolled together for 15 days, covering around 4,800 nautical miles in the Asia-Pacific area.

Russia is also reaching out to the Mediterranean region. Earlier this week, the Northern Fleet flotilla, led by Admiral Gorshkov, entered the Mediterranean Sea. The press office stated that the frigate would practice interaction with other Russian ships and carry out many military-diplomatic missions in the Mediterranean. The ship called at ports in the Mediterranean region.

On July 26, the frigate called at a port in Algeria where it supposedly expected to celebrate Russia’s Navy Day. An unconfirmed TASS report previously said, “The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the medium sea tanker Akademik Pashin will celebrate Navy Day in a port of Algeria.”

Later, Admiral Gorshkov, equipped with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles, is scheduled to make a port visit to Tartus, Syria, and conduct maneuvers alongside Russian Navy ships from its Mediterranean task force during its long-range deployment.

“Next week, the Northern Fleet’s naval group comprising the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the sea tanker Akademik Pashin will call at the Syrian port of Tartus where the Navy’s logistics support base is located,” a source told TASS.

This outreach to friendly countries comes at a time when Russia finds itself largely isolated by the international community. Besides sending vessels on port calls around the world, the Russian Navy will also hold a naval parade in St. Petersburg on July 28, as the Kremlin recently asserted.

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