U.S. Warship Shadowing Russian Frigate Near Cuba

USNI News: U.S. Warship Shadowing High-End Russian Frigate Near Cuba

A U.S. destroyer is off the coast of Havana, Cuba, shadowing a detachment of Russian naval ships that includes one of the country’s most advanced surface ships, USNI News has verified.

As of Tuesday morning, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) was roughly 50 nautical miles north of Havana and about 72 miles from Key West, Fla., operating in the Straits of Florida, according to publicly available ship location data reviewed by USNI News.

A day earlier, Russia’s first-in-class frigate Admiral Gorshkov arrived in Havana. Admiral Gorshkov was joined by support vessel Elbrus and salvage tug Nikolay Chiker, according to several media reports.

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Update: Advanced Russian warship armed with cruise missiles docks in Havana's harbor (FOX News)

WNU Editor: This Russian warship is in Cuba on an official visit .... Russian warships head to Cuba for official visit (Xinhua).

Russian Warship Arrives In Cuba

RT: Russian frigate arrives in Cuba under watchful eye of US Navy (PHOTOS)

A Russian Navy frigate armed with cruise missiles has arrived in Havana Harbor for an official visit. As Russian seamen stretch their legs on shore, US warships idle nearby and quietly observe their counterparts.

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov, armed with Kalibr missiles, left the Russian port of Severomorsk in late February for its months-long voyage, making stops in China, Djibouti and Sri Lanka before docking in Cuba on Monday. It is accompanied by several support vessels.

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Update #1: Admiral Gorshkov, Russian warship, enters Havana harbor -- Washington Times
Update #2: What's an advanced Russian warship doing in Havana harbor? -- AP

WNU Editor: This arrival is perfectly timed for this bit of news from Moscow .... Russian Deputy Foreign Minister: U.S. Deploying Missiles Along Russia's Borders Could Lead To ‘New Cuban Crisis’.

Is Russia About To Re-Open It's Military And Intelligence Sites On Cuba?

The Russian radar station in Lourdes is about 12 miles south of Havana, Cuba.

Express: WW3: Vladimir Putin ‘to re-open’ Soviet military bases in CUBA sparking Cold War 2 fears

VLADIMIR Putin is set to reactivate Soviet-era military intelligence bases in Cuba, almost 60 years after Fidel Castro and his band of revolutionaries seized power from the US-backed Fulgencio Batista on December 31, 1959.

In the darkest days of the Cold War, Cuba was at the centre of tensions between the US and the Soviet Union, with the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis bringing the world closer to all-out nuclear war than ever before. Ever since, Cuba’s relationship with the US has been frosty at best and the legacy of the island’s close diplomatic ties with Moscow remains strong to this day. Now, the island’s bond with the Kremlin is as strong as ever and current Russian supremo Vladimir Putin appears hell-bent on strengthening it further.

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WNU Editor: Talk of Russia re-opening its military sites on Cuba have been making the news for the past few years. First in 2014 .... Russia to eavesdrop on U.S. from Cuba, paper reports (CNN), and a few months ago .... Moscow Set to Re-Activate Cuban Base It Closed in 2002 and Perhaps Open New Ones (Eurasia Daily Monitor). But what we do know is that Russian spy ships do use Cuba as a port of call .... Russian Spy Ship Makes A Surprise Visit To Cuba (February 28, 2014), and there is now speculation that Russia may have a base in Venezuela .... A Russian Military Base In Venezuela? (December 15, 2018). What is my take? Russia is not going to re-open these Cuban sites. It would cost an enormous amount of money to re-open them, and the signal intelligence that they would get will probably not be worth the cost. As for a Russian military base on Venezuela .... that is probably more real. Venezuela owes Russia billions, and this is one small way that Moscow can get its money back.

A New Russian Military Base In Cuba?

A display shows excerpts to US President John F. Kennedy's October 22, 1962 televised address about the Cuban Missile Crisis © Reuters / Brian Snyder

RT: Cuban crisis 2.0? Moscow eyes military bases in Cuba after US INF pullout

Moscow’s response to Trump’s plans to quit the INF treaty could be to reinstall military bases in Cuba, the State Duma defense committee head said. He also predicted “a new Cuban crisis” if the US and Russia fail to come to terms.

The US is planning to walk away from the crucial Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, and Russia’s response may well be in the spirit of those times – namely, reactivating military facilities in Cuba. That is according to Vladimir Shamanov, the head of the State Duma defense committee and a former Airborne Troops commander.

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WNU Editor: Russia is busy signing military agreements with Cuba .... Putin’s meeting with Cuba’s appointed president comes with a $50 million loan for weapons (Miami Herald). and the Cuban President is traveling to Moscow today to start a five nation trip .... Cuba's new president reaches out to an old ally (CNN). The other nations that the Cuban President is visiting are China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Laos .... Cuba’s President Heads for Russia to Start 5-Nation Tour (Havana Times). As to what is my take on the possibility of a new Russian base in Cuba .... if it happens it will be a small base, and it will cater to Russian naval ships. IMHO we should be more focused on China and what it is doing in the Americas. The Chinese are primarily focused on trade, but signing an agreement with Cuba to establish a military base will create a seismic shift in policy vis-a-vis the U.S.. And while it will not happen now, I would not be surprised in a decade or more on the possibility of such an arrangement.

More News On Reports That Russia May Establish A Military Base In Cuba

Cold War Coming Back? Russia ‘Assessing’ Military Base in Cuba as U.S. Set to Leave Nuclear Missile Deal -- Newsweek
Russia ‘assessing’ military base in Cuba as US leaves INF treaty -- Asia Times

Russian-Cuban cooperation not tied to deteriorating relations with West, Kremlin assures -- TASS

Russia's Energy Minister Admits That Cuba Is 'Broke'

Rosneft, Russia's state oil company, says it has signed an agreement with Cuba's state-run Cubametals to supply 250,000 tonnes of oil and diesel fuel. (Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters)

TASS: Cuba wants to increase purchases of Russian oil and oil products — Russian energy minister

"The question is in financial sources," Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said

MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Cuba wants to increase the supply of oil and oil products from Russia, but it is a matter of financing, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters.

"Cuba really wants more supplies, but the question is in financial sources. If financial resources are found - the companies will deliver, it's not charity," he said.

Earlier it was reported that Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft will supply with about 250,000 tonnes of oil and diesel fuel to the Cuban company Cubametales. Terms of supply were not specified.

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Update: Russian energy minister: Cuba wants to increase purchases of Russian oil (RBTH)

WNU Editor: I would not say that Cuba is broke  .... they just do not have the money (or the credit) to buy additional Russian oil. And while Russia is selling some oil to Cuba .... Russia resumes sending oil to Cuba (CBC/Reuters) .... the big problem is that the Russian Minister is hinting that Cuba wants a freebie. LOL .... not going to happen.

Russia To Reopen It's Old Cuban Mega-Base To Spy On America

Image from RT

Russia 'To Reopen Cold War Cuban Listening Post Used To Spy On America' -- Daily Mail

* Facility at Lourdes was the largest Russian listening post abroad
* It was mothballed in 2001 after relations with the U.S. warmed
* But relations with the West have deteriorated amid the Ukraine crisis
* Moscow has also shown a new interest in Latin America and Cuba
* Last week, Russia agreed to write off 90 per cent of Cuba's debt

Russia has agreed to reopen a major Cold War listening post on Cuba that was used to spy on America, it was reported today.

Moscow-based daily Kommersant claimed Russia and Cuba have struck a deal 'in principle' after President Vladimir Putin visited the island last week.

Citing several sources within Russian authorities, the respected daily wrote: 'The agreements were finalised while President Vladimir Putin visited Havana last Friday.

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More News On Reports That Russia Will Be Reopening It's Old Cuba Listening-Base To Spy On America

Russia to reopen listening post in Cuba -- Yelena Chernenko & Ivan Safronov, Russia Beyond The Headlines/Kommersant
Cuba Agrees to Return Lourdes Intelligence Center to Russia - Report -- RIA Novosti
Russia to reopen Cuban mega-base to spy on America – report -- RT
Russia regains control of radio facility in Cuba's Lourdes base -- Voice of Russia
Russia set to reopen Soviet-era spy post on Cuba - source -- Reuters
Russia to Reclaim Spying Outpost in Cuba, Kommersant Says -- Bloomberg
Russian Media: Moscow to Reopen Cuba Intel Base -- VOA
Russia and Cuba Sign Agreement to Reopen Foreign Intelligence Base -- Washington Free Beacon
Russia Is Reportedly Reopening Its Spy Base In Cuba -- Business Insider

Russia To Modernize And Train Cuba's Military

Admiral Chabanenko missile destroyer. (Cuba, 2008)

From Miami Herald Tribune:

The chief of the Russian military's General Staff, visiting Cuba, says his country will help Havana modernize and train its military and that Moscow warships will visit Cuba soon, according to reports published Friday.

The visit by Gen. Nikolai Y. Makarov as well as the head of Russian military intelligence and other high-ranking officers has sparked broad speculation about a possible renewal of the once extremely close relations between Moscow and Havana's armed forces.

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My Comment: On the same week that the U.S. announces the withdrawal of a missile defense system from Eastern Europe, we have this news. So much for a new era of international relations and cooperation.

I am just curious as to what the Russian are going to receive in return. My guess it will be something that will not make many U.S. diplomats, generals, politicians, and the American public happy.