Russian leader Vladimir Putin has upped the nuclear ante with the United States, with a brash move off America's eastern coastline.According to open source intelligence, three Russian Navy ships and a nuclear-powered submarine passed the Florida coast Tuesday on the way to Cuba for a "friendly" visit.A provocative move that will no doubt cause repercussions all the way to the Pentagon and to the Biden White House.US Coast Guard officials even issued a plea to US boaters, to not shoot at the ships or the submarine — the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, fleet oil tanker Pashin, rescue tug Nikolay Chiker and nuclear-powered sub Kazan.The Kazan and the other members of its class can carry Kalibr long-range cruise missiles, which can be used for anti-ship strike and land attack, as well as Oniks supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles that also have a secondary land attack capability.According to media reports, the Russian vessels entered Havana Bay on Wednesday, flanked by smaller support vessels, to a 21-gun salute on a grey and overcast morning.Coming amid growing tensions over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the operation is being interpreted by some as deliberate sabre-rattling by Moscow.The Biden administration has quietly given Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia — solely near the area of Kharkiv — using U.S.-provided weapons.Ukraine is also considering keeping their newly donated F-16 Falcon fighter jets in outlying countries, to protect them from Russian air strikes.Both moves did not go down well in the Kremlin of the Mad Russian.Meanwhile, it is believed that the Russian ships were monitored all the way to Cuba by US ships, including the US Coast Guard Cutter Stone and drones, Florida Today reported.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed to reporters on Air Force One, the U.S. was closely monitoring the situation."We have seen this kind of thing before and we expect to see this kind of thing again," Sullivan said, playing down the threat.When asked about purported nervousness in Washington over the fear that Russia could transfer military personnel to Cuba or even create a military base on the island, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such exercises were common practice."This is a normal practice for all states, including such a large maritime power as Russia," Peskov told reporters. "So we don't see any reason to worry in this case."Still, the visit appears to be a show of force, and an important symbol of support to the communist-run government in Cuba and its socialist ally, Venezuela, where the warships may sail to next after they finish in Havana.It is no secret, that Russian tourists, who have dominated the cheaper all-inclusive resorts in Cuba lately, are not well liked in the land of Fidel.Their reputation precedes them; they are often rude to staff, dour, overbearing and rarely if ever tip. Their presence is merely tolerated due to the drop in tourism, post-COVID-19.However, officially, Putin and his navy are welcome. These days, Cuba needs any friend it can get. Its economy is in chaos and the island is ripe for another revolution..In a statement, Russia's defence minister said the visit was unofficial, allowing the vessels' crews to "rest and get acquainted with local attractions."My question to the Russians, is what took you so long?What's good for the goose is good for the gander, goes the expression.With the CIA helping Ukraine on Russia's borders, along with military support in the billions, it is no surprise that President Putin would threaten the Western Hemisphere with a menacing flotilla.Cuba said in a release last week the ships carried no nuclear weapons and did not represent a threat, Florida Today reported."This visit corresponds to the historical friendly relations between Cuba and the Russian Federation and strictly adheres to the international regulations," Cuba's foreign ministry said in a statement.The flotilla threat has drawn comparisons to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the US and the Soviet Union came close to a Third World War over missiles being stationed in Cuba.US President John F. Kennedy won that standoff with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who backed down after the 13-day confrontation that had the world on edge.War was averted only by the decision of Soviet naval officer Vasili Arkhipov, the Brigade Chief of Staff on submarine B-59, who refused to fire a nuclear torpedo and saved the world from nuclear disaster.Clearly, we are not at this point ... yet.But US forces would definitely be put on alert over this intrusion to the US coastline — especially a very visible one meant to invoke fear.Along with US Navy ships shadowing the flotilla, it is also believed that the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and a Canadian CP-140 Aurora are assisting in the operation.The Russian Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov and the Kazan conducted an exercise that was intended to simulate a missile strike on a group of enemy ships..The ministry said the drills involved computer simulation of an attack on sea targets more than 600 km (320 nautical miles) away.A press stunt, if there ever was one, but a veiled warning as well. Mr. Putin played this one well.The Admiral Gorshkov is armed with new state-of-the-art Zircon hypersonic missiles.The weapon has been designed to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines and could be used against both enemy ships and ground targets.President Putin has touted Zircon as a potent weapon capable of penetrating any existing anti-missile defences by flying nine times faster than the speed of sound at a range of more than 1,000 km (620 miles).Fired off the coast of Florida, these missiles could strike any major American city within minutes and be virtually indefensible.The weapon is travelling so fast, it doesn't even need a warhead to cause maximum kinetic damage.The ships' arrival in Havana comes ahead of Russia carrying out air and naval exercises in the Caribbean in the coming weeks, officials said.The exercises, which will include long-range bombers, will be the first simultaneous air and naval maneuvers Russia has carried out in the Caribbean since 2019.Cubans will be permitted to tour the frigate following the arrival of the convoy of ships, a Russian diplomatic source told CNN.The Russian diplomat told CNN that starting Thursday, June 13, “the general public” in Cuba will be allowed to tour the Gorshkov frigate for four hours each day for three days.— with files from BBC, AP, CNN
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has upped the nuclear ante with the United States, with a brash move off America's eastern coastline.According to open source intelligence, three Russian Navy ships and a nuclear-powered submarine passed the Florida coast Tuesday on the way to Cuba for a "friendly" visit.A provocative move that will no doubt cause repercussions all the way to the Pentagon and to the Biden White House.US Coast Guard officials even issued a plea to US boaters, to not shoot at the ships or the submarine — the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, fleet oil tanker Pashin, rescue tug Nikolay Chiker and nuclear-powered sub Kazan.The Kazan and the other members of its class can carry Kalibr long-range cruise missiles, which can be used for anti-ship strike and land attack, as well as Oniks supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles that also have a secondary land attack capability.According to media reports, the Russian vessels entered Havana Bay on Wednesday, flanked by smaller support vessels, to a 21-gun salute on a grey and overcast morning.Coming amid growing tensions over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the operation is being interpreted by some as deliberate sabre-rattling by Moscow.The Biden administration has quietly given Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia — solely near the area of Kharkiv — using U.S.-provided weapons.Ukraine is also considering keeping their newly donated F-16 Falcon fighter jets in outlying countries, to protect them from Russian air strikes.Both moves did not go down well in the Kremlin of the Mad Russian.Meanwhile, it is believed that the Russian ships were monitored all the way to Cuba by US ships, including the US Coast Guard Cutter Stone and drones, Florida Today reported.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed to reporters on Air Force One, the U.S. was closely monitoring the situation."We have seen this kind of thing before and we expect to see this kind of thing again," Sullivan said, playing down the threat.When asked about purported nervousness in Washington over the fear that Russia could transfer military personnel to Cuba or even create a military base on the island, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such exercises were common practice."This is a normal practice for all states, including such a large maritime power as Russia," Peskov told reporters. "So we don't see any reason to worry in this case."Still, the visit appears to be a show of force, and an important symbol of support to the communist-run government in Cuba and its socialist ally, Venezuela, where the warships may sail to next after they finish in Havana.It is no secret, that Russian tourists, who have dominated the cheaper all-inclusive resorts in Cuba lately, are not well liked in the land of Fidel.Their reputation precedes them; they are often rude to staff, dour, overbearing and rarely if ever tip. Their presence is merely tolerated due to the drop in tourism, post-COVID-19.However, officially, Putin and his navy are welcome. These days, Cuba needs any friend it can get. Its economy is in chaos and the island is ripe for another revolution..In a statement, Russia's defence minister said the visit was unofficial, allowing the vessels' crews to "rest and get acquainted with local attractions."My question to the Russians, is what took you so long?What's good for the goose is good for the gander, goes the expression.With the CIA helping Ukraine on Russia's borders, along with military support in the billions, it is no surprise that President Putin would threaten the Western Hemisphere with a menacing flotilla.Cuba said in a release last week the ships carried no nuclear weapons and did not represent a threat, Florida Today reported."This visit corresponds to the historical friendly relations between Cuba and the Russian Federation and strictly adheres to the international regulations," Cuba's foreign ministry said in a statement.The flotilla threat has drawn comparisons to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the US and the Soviet Union came close to a Third World War over missiles being stationed in Cuba.US President John F. Kennedy won that standoff with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who backed down after the 13-day confrontation that had the world on edge.War was averted only by the decision of Soviet naval officer Vasili Arkhipov, the Brigade Chief of Staff on submarine B-59, who refused to fire a nuclear torpedo and saved the world from nuclear disaster.Clearly, we are not at this point ... yet.But US forces would definitely be put on alert over this intrusion to the US coastline — especially a very visible one meant to invoke fear.Along with US Navy ships shadowing the flotilla, it is also believed that the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and a Canadian CP-140 Aurora are assisting in the operation.The Russian Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov and the Kazan conducted an exercise that was intended to simulate a missile strike on a group of enemy ships..The ministry said the drills involved computer simulation of an attack on sea targets more than 600 km (320 nautical miles) away.A press stunt, if there ever was one, but a veiled warning as well. Mr. Putin played this one well.The Admiral Gorshkov is armed with new state-of-the-art Zircon hypersonic missiles.The weapon has been designed to arm Russian cruisers, frigates and submarines and could be used against both enemy ships and ground targets.President Putin has touted Zircon as a potent weapon capable of penetrating any existing anti-missile defences by flying nine times faster than the speed of sound at a range of more than 1,000 km (620 miles).Fired off the coast of Florida, these missiles could strike any major American city within minutes and be virtually indefensible.The weapon is travelling so fast, it doesn't even need a warhead to cause maximum kinetic damage.The ships' arrival in Havana comes ahead of Russia carrying out air and naval exercises in the Caribbean in the coming weeks, officials said.The exercises, which will include long-range bombers, will be the first simultaneous air and naval maneuvers Russia has carried out in the Caribbean since 2019.Cubans will be permitted to tour the frigate following the arrival of the convoy of ships, a Russian diplomatic source told CNN.The Russian diplomat told CNN that starting Thursday, June 13, “the general public” in Cuba will be allowed to tour the Gorshkov frigate for four hours each day for three days.— with files from BBC, AP, CNN
