NATO naval vessels tailed the Northern Fleet's warship group led by the Admiral Gorshkov frigate during its visit to Cuba in June, state news agency TASS quoted Captain Second Rank Pavel Konov, the frigate's commander, as saying on Russian television on July 28.
Mr. Konov pointed out that the NATO naval group closely followed the Russian naval group, which included two P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft constantly circling overhead, as well as five American ships, one French ship and one Canadian ship.
However, Mr. Konov said, the crews of the ships tailing the Russian naval group were very polite and regularly warned the Russian sailors about their actions.
"On the enemy side, no one approached closer than 20 yards (about 3.7 km). When they mobilized helicopters or reorganized, they always announced it. In general, the Americans demonstrated very good training and maritime culture. In general, they did not cause any problems during the entire passage of the Russian ship," said the frigate commander Admiral Gorshkov.
The nuclear-powered submarine Kazan docks in Havana, Cuba, June 12, 2024. Photo: Getty Images
A tactical surface task force, including the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the Yasen-M-class nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, the supply ship Akademik Pashin and the rescue tug Nikolay Chiker, called at the Cuban port of Havana for an unofficial visit from June 12-17, TASS reported.
Ships of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet arrive in the Caribbean without nuclear weapons, although the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the nuclear submarine Kazan are capable of carrying advanced precision strike weapons such as Zircon (Tsirkon) hypersonic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles and Oniks anti-ship missiles.
Just over a month later, Cuba’s Havana port is once again welcoming Russian naval vessels. This time, ships from the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet, including the frigate Neustrashimy, the training ship Smolny and the supply ship Yelnya, arrived in the Cuban capital on July 27 and will remain there until July 30.
The Neustrashimy frigate of the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet. Photo: Defense Express
"The visits of ships from other countries are a historical practice of the revolutionary government with countries with which we maintain relations of friendship and cooperation," Cuba's Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) said in a Facebook post.
"During their stay in our country, the Russian sailors will carry out a program of activities that will include courtesy visits to the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Navy, the Governor of the capital, and visits to historical and cultural monuments," MINFAR added.
The renewed presence of Russian ships in the region has prompted the United States and Canada to take necessary responses, such as deploying ships and destroyers to monitor and track the movements of the Russian fleet headed to Cuba as it moves off the coast of Florida.
Among the US and Canadian naval assets, the destroyer USS Truxtun, a Coast Guard cutter, and the HMCS Ville de Québec are likely to be deployed for this mission.
Minh Duc (According to TASS, Zona Militar)
Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/nga-khen-tau-chien-nato-hanh-dong-lich-su-o-cuba-204240728154620284.htm
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