WASHINGTON — A U.S. Navy submarine has arrived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in a present of power as a fleet of Russian warships collect for deliberate navy workout routines within the Caribbean.
U.S. Southern Command mentioned the united statesHelena, a nuclear-powered quick assault submarine, pulled into the waters close to the U.S. base in Cuba on Thursday, only a day after a Russian frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker and a rescue tug crossed into Havana Bay after drills within the Atlantic Ocean.
The cease is a part of a “routine port go to” because the submarine travels via Southern Command’s area, it mentioned in a social media submit.
Different U.S. ships even have been monitoring and monitoring the Russian drills, which Pentagon officers say don’t symbolize a risk to the US.
“This isn’t a shock. We’ve seen them do these sort of port calls earlier than,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh mentioned Wednesday when requested concerning the Russian drills. “We after all take it critically, however these workout routines don’t pose a risk to the US.”
The workout routines, nevertheless, come lower than two weeks after President Joe Biden licensed Ukraine to make use of U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to guard Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis. Russian President Vladimir Putin then urged his navy might reply with “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere on this planet.
Singh mentioned it would not be a shock to see extra Russian exercise round the US in such world workout routines. The drills are in worldwide waters, and U.S. officers count on the Russian ships to stay within the area via the summer season and probably additionally cease in Venezuela.
Russia is a longtime ally of Venezuela and Cuba, and its warships and plane have periodically made forays into the Caribbean.
Russian ships have often docked in Havana since 2008, when a bunch of Russian vessels entered Cuban waters in what state media described as the primary such go to in virtually 20 years. In 2015, a reconnaissance and communications ship arrived unannounced in Havana a day earlier than the beginning of discussions between U.S. and Cuban officers on the reopening of diplomatic relations.