Naval exercises spurred by US support for Ukraine are likely to include port calls in Cuba and Venezuela, says official

Naval exercises spurred by US support for Ukraine are likely to include port calls in Cuba and Venezuela, says official

Russia plans to send combat vessels into the Caribbean region this summer as part of naval exercises that will probably include port calls in Cuba and possibly stops in Venezuela, a senior US official said on Wednesday.

“As part of Russia’s regular military exercises, we anticipate that this summer, Russia will conduct heightened naval and air activity near the United States. These actions will culminate in a global Russian naval exercise this fall,” the official said.

The US does not see the move involving a relatively small number of vessels and planes as threatening, but the US Navy will monitor the exercises, the official told a small group of reporters.

  • gravitas_deficiencyEnglish
    241·
    6 months ago

    Eh. The Montreux Convention specifically prohibits them from bringing any military vessels into the Black Sea. That’s part of the Russian Navy’s problem right now: it is actually 100% against international law (as well as a very serious treaty violation made with a NATO country (Turkey)) for them to rotate and refresh their forces in the Black Sea.

    That’s why their ship losses are so strategically catastrophic, and that’s why they haven’t replaced anything. If they want any new ships in the Black Sea fleet, they’ve got to build them in the Black Sea for the duration of the Ukraine War. Not to mention, it’s pretty fucking embarrassing to lose as many capital ships as they have to a country that doesn’t currently have a navy.

    Also, I wouldn’t be super shocked if Ukrainians find some creative ways to disrupt, damage, or destroy Russia Navy vessels in various foreign ports of call :)

    Edit: lmao:

    The Biden administration did not view the deployment with alarm since Russia had sailed ships into the western hemisphere yearly from 2013 to 2020, the official said.

    “We should expect more of this activity going forward, although we note these deployments incur a cost on the Russian navy, which is struggling to maintain readiness and conduct deployments with an aged fleet,” the official said.