WASHINGTON – A flotilla of Russian warships passed within hailing distance of Florida’s eastern coastline Tuesday, with the US Navy and Coast Guard following close behind, according to open-source maritime and air tracking information.
The Coast Guard Cutter Stone, Navy guided-missile destroyers USS Truxtun and USS Donald Cook, and the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec sailed after four Russian vessels reportedly headed to Cuba, according to online maritime trackers including VesselFinder.
A Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft was also spotted in the region.
The Russian flotilla, which includes the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, tanker Akademik Pashin, rescue tug Nikolai Chiker and nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, are expected to make a port visit to Havana Wednesday through Monday.
The group left Severomorsk, Russia in May with plans to spend several months performing “long-distance missions” across the world “to show the flag and ensure a naval presence in operationally important areas of the far ocean zone,” according to Russian state media agency Tass.
Moscow’s presence so close to US shores comes as representatives of nearly 100 countries across the world prepare to attend this weekend’s Ukraine Peace Summit in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Vice President Kamala Harris will represent the United States in lieu of President Biden.
The meeting – to which Russia was not invited – was arranged by the Swiss and Ukrainian governments with the intention to develop a pathway to end the war in Ukraine.
The Navy and Coast Guard did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
However, the Navy’s 2nd Fleet, which covers the Atlantic Ocean, announced Thursday on X that the Truxton as well as the Coast Guard and Canadian ships were conducting “joint ops in the Atlantic.”
