The visit to Cuba concluded in mid-June of last year, sparking much speculation about the whereabouts of the Russian Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine Kazan (K-561). This was partly due to the fact that the rest of the flotilla, led by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, continued their stay in the Caribbean Sea, conducting exercises and visiting Venezuela. However, the mystery surrounding the location of the unit belonging to the Northern Fleet has now been clarified.
In mid-June, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that a flotilla composed of units from the Northern Fleet was heading towards Havana, Cuba, for an official visit. The group of Russian ships included the aforementioned frigate Admiral Gorshkov, the nuclear-powered attack submarine Kazan (K-561), and two auxiliary support vessels: the salvage tug Nikolai Chiker and the tanker Pashin of Project 23130.
As the flotilla approached Cuba, exercises were conducted in the Atlantic. Meanwhile, on the other side, the US Coast Guard and Navy were preparing their ships and aircraft, with support from the Royal Canadian Navy, to monitor the Russian Navy vessels.
Upon arrival in Cuba, a series of protocol visits were conducted, with no reported exercises or other activities with the Cuban Armed Forces. Subsequently, according to a report from a patrol vessel of the Royal Netherlands Navy stationed in the Caribbean Sea, the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and support vessels were observed heading towards Venezuela to participate in celebrations for Independence Day. Russian sailors were reportedly involved in the military parade held for this occasion. However, the whereabouts of the Yasen-M-class nuclear-powered submarine, one of the most modern in the Russian Navy, remained unknown.
Based on open-source information, it has been reported that the submarine Kazan has recently returned to Russia, arriving at the Zaozersk Naval Base, the most important base of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. Although speculative, it is presumed that the submarine may have continued operations in the Atlantic after separating from the rest of the flotilla to conduct training exercises, assessing crew readiness for extended deployments.
Regardless of the exact itinerary of the Yasen-M submarine, its presence, along with the frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which are among Russia’s most modern naval platforms, sends a message to the United States and other powers about Russia’s strategic deployment capabilities. This is particularly significant in the context of over two years of conflict in Ukraine and the resulting impact on Russia’s military capabilities, as well as Western sanctions affecting its economy and industrial complex. Russia remains capable of deploying strategic assets such as attack submarines and cruise and ballistic missile submarines wherever its national interests require.
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