The Russian training ship Smolny arrived in Havana on Saturday for a three-day stop, a month and a half after a Russian nuclear-powered submarine passed through the Cuban capital amid rising tensions with Washington.
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The AFP reported that the ship, part of the Baltic Fleet, entered Havana Bay in the morning, accompanied by the patrol boat “Neustrashymi”, and was greeted by Cuban artillery fire.
France Press agency
It is anchored near the historic center of the city, attracting the attention of curious onlookers and tourists.
This is a “friendly visit to the Cuban capital. Another sign of the close relations between our peoples,” the Russian embassy said in a message on X, explaining that the “Smolny” will be open to the public on Sunday and Monday. The fleet also consists of the tanker “Yelnya”.
France Press agency
In mid-June, a Russian fleet, including the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, stopped in Havana for five days.
France Press agency
The visit of these warships, about 150 kilometers from the coast of Florida, came against the backdrop of growing tensions between the United States and Russia over the war in Ukraine.
France Press agency
At this moment, the sous-marine naval launcher “USS Helena” came to Cuba, in the Gulf of Guantanamo, at the American Naval Base on the island, and a Canadian patrol, the “HMCS Margaret Brooke”, arrived at Havana.
