Mystery: Russian Warship Docks in Cuba Without Warning
A Russian warship docked in Havana Wednesday, without explanation from Cuba or the Russian government.
Cuban state media was also silent
on the mysterious arrival of the Viktor Leonov CCB-175 boat, measuring
about 300 feet long and 47 feet wide. According to French news agency Agence France-Presse, the ship docked at the port of Havana’s cruise ship area, near the Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
A
Soviet-made Lada limousine passes by Russian Vishnya (also known as
Meridian) class warship CCB-175 Viktor Leonov, docked, on Feb. 26, 2014,
at Havana harbor. The Vishnya class ships are used for gathering
intelligence. They ships were built in the 1980s for the Soviet Navy and
are still deployed within the Russian fleet. (AFP/Adalberto Roque)
The Meridian-class intelligence ship is packed with electronic
eavesdropping equipment and weaponry, including AK-630 rapid-fire
cannons and surface-to-air missiles, according to the Daily Mail.
Also often referred to as a
Vishnya-class ship, the vessel boasts a crew of around 200, and went
into service in the Black Sea in 1988 before it was transferred seven
years later to the northern fleet, Russian media sources reported.
The warship’s arrival hearkens to a time when the former Soviet Union
was communist Cuba’s sponsor state through three decades of the Cold
War. Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin created distance between the
two countries for a time, but more recently the two countries have
renewed their political, economic and military cooperation.
Tourists
in a old American car pass by Russian Vishnya (also known as Meridian)
class warship CCB-175 Viktor Leonov, docked, on Feb. 26, 2014, at Havana
harbor. The Vishnya class ships are used for gathering intelligence.
They ships were built in the 1980s for the Soviet Navy and are still
deployed within the Russian fleet. (AFP/Adalberto Roque)
Havana is a little more than 100 miles off the coast of Florida.
“We are aware that a Russian naval vessel has docked in Havana … We
recognize the rights of all sovereign nations to freely navigate in
international waters and to port in the countries they have agreements
with,” a Defense Department Official told TheBlaze.When asked when the DoD knew the ship was in close range of the United States, the official told TheBlaze, “For operational security reasons, we will not discuss the specifics relating to our maritime domain awareness activities.”
(H/T: Yahoo News)
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