(Havana) The Russian training ship, the Smolnyarrived Saturday in the port of Havana for a three-day stopover, a month and a half after a Russian nuclear-powered submarine visited the Cuban capital, amid growing tensions with the United States.
The ship, which is part of the Baltic Fleet, entered Havana Bay in the morning, accompanied by the patrol boat Neustrashimiygreeted by salvos from Cuban artillery, AFP noted.
It 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, specifying that the Smolny would be open to the public on Sunday and Monday. The flotilla also consists of the oil tanker Yelnya.
PHOTO REUTERS
This is a “friendly visit to the Cuban capital,” the Russian embassy in Cuba said on X.
In mid-June, a Russian flotilla, which included the Kazana Russian nuclear-powered submarine, made a five-day stopover in Havana.
The warships’ visit some 150 km off the coast of Florida came amid growing tensions between the United States and Russia over the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, the nuclear attack submarine USS Helena was in Cuba, in Guantanamo Bay, the American naval base on the island, and a Canadian patrol boat, the HMCS Margaret Brookedocked in Havana.