Russian Warships Just 66 Miles from Florida Coast, U.S. “Anxious”

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Although the United States has declared that it does not feel threatened by the presence of Russian warships in Cuba, it has nevertheless mobilized its naval assets to “shadow” these ships.

 The U.S. military displayed noticeable concern when Russian warships, particularly the nuclear-powered Yasen-class submarine “Kazan” and frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” were reported to be just 66 miles (106 km) off the coast of Florida, heading toward Cuba.

Observers from Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and data from flight and maritime tracking apps have shown that U.S. and Canadian air and naval assets are actively shadowing the Russian military assets.

 The U.S. Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy have deployed their anti-submarine aircraft, the P-8 Poseidon and P-3 Orion, to shadow the Russian warships, especially the Yasen-class submarine “Kazan.”

Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard vessel CG Stone, U.S. Navy destroyers USS Truxtun and USS Donald Cook, and the Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec are also participating in the shadowing activities as the Russian fleet heads to Cuba.

There are also reports that a French Navy La Fayette-class frigate is involved in shadowing the Russian warships.

Among the four Russian ships, special attention is likely being given by the United States and Canada to the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the nuclear submarine Yasen-class “Kazan,” both of which are among the most modern assets of the Russian Navy and are equipped with formidable weapons systems.

The other two Russian vessels include the fuel supply ship “Pashin” and the rescue tugboat “Chiker.”

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the submarine “Kazan” are reported to be equipped with hypersonic “Tsirkon” missiles, capable of Mach 10 speeds and able to strike targets over 1,000 km away.

 In addition to the “Tsirkon” hypersonic missiles, both modern Russian assets are also armed with “Kalibr” and “Oniks” cruise missiles.

The proximity of these Russian military assets, equipped with dangerous weaponry, to U.S. and Canadian territories has prompted the deployment of warships and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft to closely monitor the voyage of the Russian warships, particularly the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the submarine “Kazan.”

Currently, it is unknown whether the Russian warships, especially the nuclear submarine “Kazan,” have already arrived in Cuba or are still lingering in waters near Florida, causing concern among U.S. and Canadian naval forces.

A recent statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry announced that four Russian warships will visit Cuba next week, marking the largest presence of Russian naval forces in the Caribbean country in decades.

Russia, and previously the Soviet Union, have maintained close ties with Cuba for many years, and the visit of these warships strengthens the diplomatic and military relations between Moscow and Havana.

According to the Cuban government, the Russian warships involved in the visit will be the frigate “Admiral Gorshkov,” the nuclear submarine Yasen-class “Kazan,” the fuel supply ship “Pashin,” and the rescue tugboat “Chiker.”

The Cuban government also clarified that these Russian warships will be in the Carribean country, bordering the United States, from June 12 to 17, and none of the Russian warships will carry nuclear weapons.

“The Russian ships will not pose any threat to the region,” the Cuban government stated in a statement.

The announcement of the visit by the Cuban government came just a day after senior U.S. officials stated that they were monitoring the movement of Russian warships and combat aircraft towards the Caribbean for military exercises.

According to U.S. officials, the Russian military exercises in the Caribbean waters are part of Moscow’s response to Washington’s support for the conflict in Ukraine.

 The U.S. Department of Defense and the State Department have stated that Russia will increase its military activities near America this summer as part of their maneuvers.

“Russia is expected to deploy their warships to the Caribbean with possible stops in Cuba and Venezuela,” a U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson said, acknowledging that the maneuvers of the Russian warships do not pose a threat to Washington.

While the presence of Russian warships in Cuba is recognized as a development, U.S. officials have stated that it does not concern them from a security standpoint.

 The presence of Russian warships in Cuba occurs as President Vladimir Putin stated that his country would take asymmetrical steps worldwide in response to the United States allowing Ukraine to use the weapons it supplied to attack Russia. — DSA