A flotilla of Russian warships left Havana on Monday after a scheduled five-day excursion to the communist country while on a break from military exercises in the Atlantic Ocean.
The frigate Admiral Gorshkov, the nuclear submarine Kazan, a fuel ship, and a rescue tug departed in the morning to an unknown location that U.S. officials have stated may be Moscow’s ally Venezuela.
Social media showed Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel visiting some of the sailors at their workspaces on Saturday.
Officials in the Biden administration said that they have been monitoring the vessels since before their arrival and that they did not think the presence of the small squadron posed a security threat. However, the U.S. Navy dispatched the USS Helena, a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base because of the visit.
Reports have indicated that the Pentagon expects the formation to stay in the region for the remainder of the summer.
The deployment came as Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that he intends to increase military support for his allies in response to NATO’s transfer of weapons and money to Ukraine.
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