Also expected to arrive at the port of the Cuban capital is the nuclear submarine Kazan, a carrier of cruise and hypersonic missiles.

MOSCOW: A brand new submarine capable of launching the winged “Caliber” will show the United States “Kuzka’s mother”
"Good activity. Firstly, this is training of sailors. Many of them will gain invaluable experience. And secondly, this is a demonstration to the United States that we can reach them not only with our own strategic missiles, but also with our ships,” the BUSINESS Online expert comments on the upcoming exercises of the Russian Navy in the Caribbean. Next week's maneuvers in Cuba will involve four warships, including the nuclear submarine Kazan, which is capable of carrying Kalibr cruise missiles and Zircon hypersonic missiles. There are no nuclear weapons on the ships, the Cubans assure and call the visit friendly. How to evaluate the exercises that have not been held since 2019, and whether there will be a reaction from the West, is in the material.

The frigate "Gorshkov" and the nuclear submarine "Kazan" are on a "visit" to Cuba
The American press reported on Russia's plans to conduct air and naval exercises in the Caribbean on Wednesday, June 5. US intelligence apparently found out about them earlier. The CBS News portal, citing an unnamed American official, reported that the exercises will begin in the “coming weeks” and will be the first such maneuvers by the Russian military in the Caribbean since 2019.

Washington interprets the upcoming exercises as a response to American support for Ukraine and to the intensification of US exercises with NATO allies, the publication noted. At the same time, the portal’s source said that the maneuvers of the Russian Navy were planned “quite a long time ago”, and they can hardly be associated with Kyiv’s permission for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) to carry out strikes with long-range weapons within the Kharkov region. This turn of events looks like an attempt to get US President Joe Biden out of the attack, who does not need any extra negativity on the eve of the presidential elections. To completely reassure the Americans, the CBS News interlocutor assured that the exercises are not considered as posing a direct threat to the United States.

The day before, Cuba officially announced the maneuvers. The country's Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces announced that four warships will arrive at the port of Havana between June 12 and 17: the frigate Gorshkov, the nuclear submarine Kazan, the oil tanker Akademik Pashin and the rescue tug Nikolai Chiker. As the Cuban side assures, the visit is friendly and “strictly complies with international rules.” “None of the ships carry nuclear weapons, so their stay in our country does not pose a threat to the region,” the Cuban army emphasized in a statement.

It also says that during their stay in Cuba, the Russian military will meet with the commander of the Cuban navy and the governor of Havana, and will also visit “places of historical and cultural interest.” Details of the upcoming exercises, of course, are not disclosed.

Information about the exercises in the Caribbean Sea appeared against the backdrop of active discussions in NATO on whether or not Kyiv should be allowed to fire at Russian territory with long-range Western weapons and strike deep into the country. “If someone considers it possible to supply such weapons to a combat zone to strike our territory, then why do we not have the right to supply our weapons of the same class to those regions of the world where attacks will be carried out on sensitive targets of those countries that are doing is this in relation to Russia? — Putin asked at a meeting with the heads of world news agencies. There he repeated that the Russian Federation is capable and can use nuclear weapons, and called for it not to come to that. The exercises will take place at the same time as the peace conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, to which Moscow was not invited.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the long-distance voyage of a detachment of ships of the Northern Fleet back in May. It was reported that the ships were heading for the Atlantic and would carry out long-distance missions in various areas of the World Ocean. Among the tasks are displaying the flag and ensuring a naval presence in operationally important areas of the far ocean zone. However, the frigate “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov”, the tanker “Akademik Pashin” and the rescue tug “Nikolai Chiker” were listed as part of the detachment, but there was not a word about the submarine “Kazan”. And it is capable of carrying Caliber cruise missiles and Zircon hypersonic missiles.

Submarine K-561 "Kazan", brief information

“When it became clear that our demonstrative waving of tactical nuclear weapons (tactical nuclear weapons - editor’s note) was of no use, three options for further developments appeared, and our presence in Cuba is one of them,” says the “Welders” telegram channel. — We are joining in all directions: in addition to introducing soft pedagogical power, next week our warships will move to Cuba, including the nuclear submarine Kazan and the missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov. For now, to participate in the exercises, and what will happen next?

we eat. And although no one asked the United States, they immediately reported that they did not see this as a threat to themselves. This is not the beginning of the Caribbean Crisis 2.0, but rather another brandishing of weapons, but overall a very right step on our part.”

“They can’t attack our ships, because each of our ships is the territory of the Russian Federation”
In a conversation with BUSINESS Online, experts commented on Russia’s plans to conduct exercises, speculated about what they were connected with and how the West would react to the maneuvers.

Viktor Litovkin - TASS military observer, retired colonel:

— The Northern Fleet’s trip to Cuba is a good activity. Firstly, this is training of sailors. Many of them will gain invaluable experience. And secondly, this is a demonstration to the United States that we can reach them not only with our own strategic missiles, but also with our ships. There is also support from Cuba here: helping them strengthen their armed forces by supplying the weapons they need. Of course, Cuba today cannot pay a decent price for our weapons. However, we can supply her with weapons with deferred payments. Moreover, Putin recently said that in response to US actions, we can supply long-range weapons to those countries that are unfriendly to America. Indeed, states such as Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Yemen, and North Korea really need Russia’s support.

I do not think that the exercises are a response to discussions of strikes with Western weapons deep into Russia. There is no need to link everything one to one here, because the policy should be long-term, not situational. This event is just an element of the overall strategy. Yes, they (Western countries - editor's note) will closely monitor the ongoing exercises. But it’s unlikely to react. They cannot attack our ships, because each of our ships is the territory of the Russian Federation. And in response, more serious events may follow from us.

Sergey Markov - political scientist, public figure, candidate of political sciences, director of the Institute of Political Studies, member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation:

— These exercises have several tasks. First, show the Americans the goat. Second, help the Cuban government strengthen their military resources. Because after all, the American government is in a fever. We see that the US authorities are not very happy with the behavior of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. They threaten the United States, including militarily. Therefore, it is useful for Cubans to strengthen their military capabilities. Now Russia is participating in a new type of war, and this experience needs to be passed on to the Cubans.

Thirdly, I think the supply of missiles that could shoot at the United States with medium-range missiles is now being discussed. To some extent, this can be considered a repetition of the Cuban missile crisis. These exercises are not perceived by the States as a serious threat. They believe that, after all, the Cuban government has embarked on the path of reform and capitalism will gradually awaken there. Through this capitalism they will be able to bring Cuba under control.

Anna Skryp, Ilya Zima

The day before, Vladimir Putin said at a forum in St. Petersburg that Russia, in response to Western arms supplies, could also transfer Russian weapons to states unfriendly to the United States.