(Photo : YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
The Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, docks at Havana's harbor, June 12, 2024.
Vladimir Putin's feared "Kazan" submarine is floating just off the coast of the United States, and here's everything we know so far.
The concerning new submarine from Russia has pulled up off the coast of Cuba ahead of planned military exercises in the area.
A nuclear-power cruise missile submarine, the Kazan is one of a fairly new class of submarines that has worried the US and Western militaries because of its stealth and strike capabilities.
Russian Ships Near Florida
The Kazan, along with three other Russian ships, arrived in Cuba on Wednesday for a five-day official visit before a large, simultaneous air and maritime exercise in the Caribbean.
The Admiral Gorshkov frigate, also included on the vessel, is armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, presenting another heightening concern for Western militaries.
US Monitoring Ships
U.S. officials don't expect any imminent danger, but they are monitoring the vessels in the meantime.
"This is not a surprise. We've seen them do these type of port calls before," Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. "We of course take it seriously, but these exercises don't pose a threat to the United States."
The fast-attack submarine USS Helena arrived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba around the same time but the U.S. Southern Command said it was a previously scheduled stop.
STATEMENT: The fast-attack submarine USS Helena is in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as part of a routine port visit as it transits the U.S. Southern Command geographic area of responsibility while conducting its global maritime security and national defense mission. The vessel's location… pic.twitter.com/icbeuonjgp
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) June 13, 2024
New Class of Russian Subs
The Russians began work on the new class of submarines during the Cold War, and the first sub in the class, the Severodvinsk, was commissioned in late 2013, according to Business Insider.
Around the same time as the introduction of the Severodvinsk, the Naval Sea Systems Command Program executive officer for submarines said that moving forward, the US would "be facing tough potential opponents," adding that "one only has to look at the Severodvinsk."
After the Severodvinsk was commissioned into the Russian Navy, newer models started to include updated designs and were classified as the Yasen-M class.
The Kazan's "capacity to launch a range of anti-ship and land attack missiles" suggests that "long-range strike missions appear to be superseding sea lines of communication (SLOC) interdiction as a primary task," revealed a 2021 Royal United Services Institute analysis.
