United States sends submarine to base in Cuba after Russian ships arrive

A fast-attack nuclear submarine arrived this Thursday (13) at Guantánamo Bay, in front of where the Russian force is positioned, in the capital Havana. This is a response to the arrival of warships in Cuba on Wednesday (12). According to the United States Southern Command, the USS Helena submarine is nuclear-powered and is currently anchored in Guantánamo Bay, a US military base since 1903. This location houses a US prison that imposes sentences on terrorists.

The reason for being there

Cuba is a historic ally and the four Russian ships arrived to participate in military plans between the two countries and were announced earlier this month. As tension increased between the United States and Russia, two of the warships that arrived were powered by nuclear energy. It is estimated that it will remain in maneuvers until the 17th.

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_{North American nuclear submarine in the Pacific (Photo: reproduction/N. Nehring/Getty Images Embed)}

On the other hand, the US government is interested in monitoring them closely. In addition to the submarine, the government assigned other ships to patrol the Russian fleet, including three soldiers capable of guided missiles, a USCG (United States Coast Guard) ship and a maritime surveillance aircraft, as reported in the American media.

Climate of tension that repeats itself

Russia's military exercises in Cuba are reminiscent of the Cold War period and are considered a demonstration of Russian power in a context of exposure of relations between Russians and the West, due to the war in Ukraine in recent weeks. Since the invasion in February 2022, the Russian government's connection with the US has crumbled and it has become common for ships to sail the Atlantic with more vigor. But that doesn't scare the US government.

Vladimir Putin once said he could use nuclear weapons if his country's sovereignty was threatened. Recently, faced with the possibility of Ukraine using weapons supplied by its allies to fight Russia, the Russian president threatened to send weapons to allied countries. And Cuba is one of them.

Featured Photo: Russian warship leaving Saint Petersburg (Reproduction/Da Kuk/Getty Images Embed)