Russia Plans Naval Exercises in the Caribbean, Including Possible Stops in Cuba and Venezuela

 This summer, Russia intends to deploy combat vessels to the Caribbean region as part of its naval exercises, which will likely include port calls in Cuba and possibly stops in Venezuela, according to a senior US official on Wednesday.

"As part of Russia’s routine military drills, we anticipate increased naval and air activities near the United States this summer. These actions are expected to culminate in a global Russian naval exercise this fall," the official stated.

While the US does not consider the move, involving a relatively small number of vessels and aircraft, to be threatening, the US Navy will monitor the exercises, the official informed a small group of reporters.

Context and Implications

Tensions between the US and Russia have been high since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The official noted that the increase in Russian naval activity is likely a response to US support for Ukraine. "This is about Russia demonstrating its capability for some level of global power projection," the official added.

US officials briefed relevant lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the activity on Thursday.

The deployments are viewed as part of routine naval operations. "We are not concerned by Russia’s deployments, which pose no direct threat to the United States," the official said.

Specifics of the Deployment

"We expect Russia to temporarily send combat naval vessels to the Caribbean region, likely making port calls in Cuba and possibly Venezuela. There might also be aircraft deployments or flights in the area," the official explained.

The Biden administration is not alarmed by this deployment, as Russia has conducted similar operations in the Western Hemisphere annually from 2013 to 2020.

"We should expect more of this activity in the future, though these deployments come at a cost to the Russian navy, which is struggling to maintain readiness and conduct operations with an aging fleet," the official concluded.