Russian warships arrive in Cuba in show of force

Four Russian naval vessels, including a nuclear-powered submarine and a frigate, have arrived in Cuba, in what is seen as a show of force amid tensions with the West over the war in Ukraine. The vessels are anchored at the Havana Bay, approximately 90 miles from the US state of Florida. Russia's defence ministry says the Admiral Gorshkov frigate and the Kazan submarine are both carriers of advanced weapons, including hypersonic missiles Zircon. They earlier conducted missile drills in the Atlantic. Cuba's foreign ministry says none of the vessels has nuclear arms on board, and their five-day visit does not pose a threat to the region. US officials say they are closely monitoring the visit. The US Navy also used sea drones to shadow the Russian vessels as they got close to Cuba. The visit is an important symbol of support to the communist-run government in Cuba and its socialist ally, Venezuela, where the warships may sail to next after they finish in Havana. From the US perspective, officials have indicated that they are aware of the visit - but do not consider that it poses a threat to the US, adding that their understanding was that the nuclear-powered submarine was not carrying nuclear weapons. In essence, while the visit may be considered broadly routine, the context of wider global hostilities in which it is taking place is anything but.