According to U.S. officials, Russian warships and aircraft are being monitored as they make their way to the Caribbean for a military exercise in response to increasing tensions over Western backing of Ukraine. The arrival of these Russian forces is seen as a display of strength by Russia. It is anticipated that the ships may also visit Venezuela and Cuba as Russia expands its military presence in the Western Hemisphere, according to senior officials from the Biden administration.
Also, the officials stated that while notable, this development is not worrisome. The U.S. military will be keeping a close eye on the exercise, which will include a small number of Russian ships and support vessels. This is not the initial occasion when Russian ships have been deployed to the Caribbean. The current operation coincides with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hint that Moscow may implement unconventional measures in other regions globally in reaction to President Joe Biden’s approval for Ukraine to utilize U.S.-supplied arms to target Russia in defence of Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine.
The exercise is an act by Putin to showcase the strength of his navy.
Furthermore, the authorities, while speaking on the condition of anonymity to share information that had not yet been made public, emphasized that the manoeuvre is undeniably a component of the larger reaction of Russia to U.S. backing of Ukraine. However, they also indicated that the exercise serves as a demonstration by Putin to showcase the continued strength of his navy in terms of international capabilities, especially following the huge loss of multiple ships to Ukrainian attacks.
During the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russian military leaders disclosed in March that a significant portion of their Black Sea fleet has been destroyed by Ukrainian attacks, amounting to approximately one-third of the fleet’s total strength. The U.S. Navy officials reported that Russia did not give prior notice to the U.S. about the upcoming exercise, however, they have been monitoring the movements of the ships. While it is common for countries to inform each other to prevent misunderstandings, Russian officials did not notify the U.S. of their military exercises.
Authorities expect that the Russian vessels will remain through the summer.
However, it is widely recognized that all militaries have the freedom to carry out exercises in international waters. An upcoming example is BALTOPS 24, where approximately 20 NATO nations, including the U.S., will participate in a significant naval and air drill near Russia in the Baltic region starting on June 7, 2024. Authorities anticipate that the Russian vessels will stay in the area for the duration of the summer season and are expected to carry out comparable drills in the Caribbean once they finish with the current exercise.
Additionally, the Russian exercises scheduled for June 5, 2024, were brought to the attention of Congress by the officials. In February of 2022, Russia launched a military offensive into Ukraine, marking a significant escalation in the long-standing conflict between the two nations that began in 2014. This invasion is considered the most extensive attack on a European country since the end of World War II. The devastating consequences of the invasion are evident in the tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians killed and hundreds of thousands of military personnel wounded.
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As of June 2022, Russian forces have successfully taken control of approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory. By April 2023, Europe was facing its largest refugee crisis since World War II, with over 8 million Ukrainians internally displaced and more than 8.2 million fleeing the country out of a population of 41 million. The destruction caused by the war has been labelled as ecocide due to the extensive environmental damage. Furthermore, disruptions to Ukrainian Agriculture and transport due to the war led to a global food crisis.