Ottawa [Canada], June 15: A patrol ship of the Royal Canadian Navy on June 14 docked in Cuba, where nuclear-powered submarines from Russia and the United States are present.
The Royal Canadian Navy announced on Facebook that the HMCS Margaret Brooke had docked in the Cuban port of Havana on its way back from "a successful deployment in the Caribbean," according to AFP.
HMCS Margaret Brooke "will conduct a port visit to Havana from June 14-17, to recognize the longstanding bilateral relationship between Canada and Cuba," according to a statement from the Royal Canadian Navy.
This is the Royal Canadian Navy's first visit to Havana since 2016 and first to Cuba since 2018, according to the announcement.
Previously, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on June 13 that the attack submarine USS Helena had visited the military port of Guantanamo in Cuba during a routine visit while moving through the area, according to Politico . Guantanamo Bay belongs to Cuba, but is controlled by the US under a 1903 bilateral treaty that the current Cuban government does not recognize and considers the US presence illegal.
SOUTHCOM made the announcement a day after the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan arrived in Havana, escorted by the corvette Admiral Gorshkov, as well as a tanker and a tugboat. The Cuban side affirmed that the Russian submarine did not carry nuclear weapons.
Russia's unusual deployment is too close to the US - only 148 km from the coast of Florida, taking place amid increased tensions over the war in Ukraine.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that before entering Havana port, the group of ships "completed exercises on using high-precision missile weapons." The Russian ship group is expected to stay in the area this summer and may visit Venezuela, according to ABC News.
The US and Canada have closely followed the journey of the Russian fleet and deployed many ships and planes to monitor, according to CNN.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper