Sailors from the Russian Navy’s honor guard of the frigate “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov” participated in the civic-military parade commemorating the 213th anniversary of Venezuela’s declaration of independence and the day of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.
The Russian contingent, which marched alongside the Venezuelan Armed Forces, arrived in Venezuela a few days ago as part of a deployment by a Russian Navy flotilla consisting of the frigate “Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov” 454, the Project 23130 tanker “Akademik Pashin,” and the attack submarine “Kazan K-561” of the Yasen-M class.
These ships completed a visit to Havana, Cuba, in mid-June, a presence that undoubtedly aligns with Moscow’s strategy for the region, competing with the United States and NATO countries. In this case, the deployment served to display the flag in waters where Russian ships rarely operate despite maintaining friendships with several countries, including Cuba, Venezuela, and Guatemala.
The frigate “Gorshkov” and the tanker “Akademik Pashin” from the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy arrived at the Venezuelan port of La Guaira on July 2, being received by the local Armed Forces with a welcome ceremony. The movements of both ships were closely followed by naval units from the Netherlands operating in the Caribbean Sea.
However, despite these usual surveillance tasks, the absence of the submarine “Kazan” remains noteworthy. The capabilities of the modern Yasen-M class vessel are likely being utilized by the Russian Navy for operations in the region, a common task for such vessels.
Interestingly, once the arrival of the Russian flotilla in Havana was known, the U.S. Navy announced the presence of the attack submarine USS Helena SSN-725 of the Los Angeles class in Guantanamo Bay. Undoubtedly, this was a response to Moscow’s move and a subtle warning that the movements of Russian ships were being closely monitored.
Cover image: Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
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