Russian warships visit Cuba for the first time since Soviet era

A group of battleships of Russia’s Northern Fleet will arrive at the port of Havana visiting from Nicaragua on December 19. “It will be the first visit of the Russian battleships to Cuba since the era of the Soviet Union. The visit will last till December 23,” a senior official of the Russian Naval Command Igor Dygalo said.

Photo: Russian warships visit Cuba for the first time since Soviet era

“The visit to Cuba will mark a considerable step in strengthening and developing ties between the naval departments of the two countries,” Interfax quoted Dygalo as saying.

The command of the group of the Russian battleships will hold meetings with the commander of the Cuban navy, the mayor of Havana and spokespeople for the Russian embassy. The Cuban population will have an opportunity to attend the Russian ships, Dygalo said. Russian sailors will lay wreaths to the monument of Jose Marti and to the monument of the Soviet internationalist warriors.

The warships of Russia’s Northern Fleet complete their visit to Nicaragua and depart from the port of Blufields Monday. “It was a friendly visit to Nicaragua, but we also delivered the humanitarian cargo to the nation,” Dygalo said.

The Western media set out their concern about Russia’s military activities in the traditional zone of the US influence. Commenting Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Latin America, Western publications wrote that the Russian president, like his predecessors, was playing games in America’s backyard. Many newspapers wrote that Moscow had an intention to create a counterbalance to Washington in the region to reduce America’s influence there. The Russian administration wants to return to the Cold War era situation, newspapers wrote.