⚓ Russia dispatches warships to Caribbean for naval drills

Russia is set to deploy combat vessels to the Caribbean region this summer for naval exercises, according to a senior US official. The drills will likely include port calls in Cuba and potential stops in Venezuela. The US has stated it does not view the move, which involves a relatively small number of vessels and planes, as threatening. However, the US Navy will be monitoring the exercises. The arrival of Russian warships and aircraft in the region in the coming weeks is seen as a show of force amid rising tensions over Western military support for Ukraine. 🌍

This is not the first time that Russia has sent its ships to the Caribbean. However, this exercise comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that Moscow might arm other nations in response to US President Joe Biden's recent decision to allow Ukraine to use American-provided weapons to strike inside Russia. US officials believe the exercise is part of a broader Russian response to US support for Ukraine, but also an attempt by Putin to demonstrate that his navy is still capable of global power projection, despite losing several ships to Ukrainian strikes. 🚢

The Moscow Times reported that Russia's defence ministry has not publicly announced plans to hold naval exercises in the Caribbean Sea in the coming weeks. 📰