A Russian naval frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine conducted missile exercises in the Atlantic Ocean while en route to CubaThe Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.
The exercises carried out by the Kazan submarine and the Admiral Gorshkov warship consisted of firing high-precision missiles against simulated enemy targets from a distance of more than 600 kilometers, he indicated in a statement.
Admiral Gorshkov also rcarried out training in recent days to repel an air attack, the ministry said.
The ships are part of a group of four Russian warships who is scheduled to arrive in Cuba on Wednesday.
Havana said last week thatVisits were a common practice for naval units from friendly countries and that the ships did not carry nuclear weapons and did not represent a threat to the region.
However, the trip will be closely followed by the United States at a time of acute tension with Russia over the war in Ukraine.
The United States does not see the maneuver as a threat, but the US Navy will monitor the exercises, a US official told reporters last week.
“It's about showing that Russia is still capable of some level of global power projection.”said the official.
The Admiral Gorshkov has been used by Russia to test and deploy its Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, and participated in joint exercises with the Chinese and South African navies in 2023.
