Residents wave during the arrival of a Russian Federation Navy warship in Havana, Cuba, on August 3, 2013.
A fleet of Russian naval warships has arrived in Cubaâ„¢s main harbor for a five-day mission of peace and fraternity, an official says.
The Black Sea Fleetâ„¢s flagship cruiser, the Moskva, along with the Northern Fleet’s “Vice Admiral Kulakov” (a Udaloy-class destroyer), and a fuel tanker arrived in the Havana harbor on Saturday, during a mission to extend peace to the Cuban people, a naval spokesman told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
The ships were saluted by a parade of military cannons, a naval band and a few hundred people as they pulled into the Bay of Havana.
During their stay, the ships will be available for public viewing and tourist attraction.
Å“We Cubans were for a long time allied to them, and we still are their allies…. This is a good reception; it’s great to receive them,” said a Havana resident.
Last year, Russia announced plans to expand its military presence in certain Soviet-era ally countries including Cuba.
In February, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev made a three-day official visit to Cuba where he met Cuban President Raul Castro and his brother, Fidel.
Moscowâ„¢s decision to flex its military muscles comes at a time when tensions between Russia and the West are on the rise.
Havana and Washington have been at odds since the Cuban revolution, led by Fidel Castro, toppled Fulgencio Batistaâ„¢s regime in 1959.
The United States imposed a partial trade embargo on the Caribbean island nation in October 1960. Washington imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba in February 1962.
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Republished from: Press TV