As per the latest updates from US officials, Russia is making preparations to deploy combat vessels to the Caribbean region this summer for naval exercises.
It seems that these Russian military drills will also involve making port calls in Cuba and potentially visiting Venezuela.
A senior US official mentioned on Wednesday that the United States anticipates Russia will commence air and naval exercises in the upcoming weeks.
“We are expecting that Russia will temporarily send combat naval vessels to the Caribbean region, and these ships will likely conduct port calls in Cuba and possibly Venezuela. There may also be some aircraft deployments or flights in the region,” the official said.
This upcoming exercise will involve a significant deployment of military equipment, possibly including Russian warships and long-range bombers.
Notably, it will mark a historic event as it will be the first time Russia has carried out combined air and naval maneuvers in the Caribbean since 2019.
Additionally, this exercise is expected to strain Russia-US relations further. There's a growing perception that this exercise is a reaction to the United States' backing of Ukraine.
Increased Tensions Between Russia and the United States
The Russian military exercises will only increase the tension between them and the United States.
Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the relationship between the two countries has further gone south. Moreover, the US official alleges that Russia is engaging in the activity to show they still have some level of global power.
“This is about Russia showing that it's still capable of some level of global power projection,” the official said.
As reported by Reuters, the US officials briefed relevant lawmakers on Capitol Hill about the activity on Thursday.
In addition, the official said the US wasn't concerned about the activity since it is considered a routine exercise for the country.
“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. We are not concerned by Russia's deployments, which pose no direct threat to the United States,” the official added.
Russia Struggling to Maintain Readiness
Officials have stated that the recent development is not a cause for concern. Russia sent ships into the Western Hemisphere annually from 2013 to 2020.
Additionally, the US has accused Russia of conducting these exercises to flaunt its diminishing power.
The US representative claimed that these air and naval deployments would pressure Russia's military budget significantly. Moreover, the country is struggling to maintain its readiness due to its aging fleet.
“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 US official added.
Last week, the United States granted Ukraine permission to use weapons on the Russian side of the border close to the besieged Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. However, there is still no authorization to utilize the long-range equipment, such as the ATACMs, provided by the U.S.