Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) confirmed to CTV News that the Canadian Armed Forces are tracking the “movements and activities” of a fleet of Russian warships that entered Cuban waters on Wednesday.
“The Canadian Armed Forces regularly conduct operations (including maritime and air operations) alongside their U.S. counterparts in support of our continental defence mission,” a Department of Defence spokesperson told CTV News.
The DND added that a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora aircraft and HMCS Ville de Quebec “observed the activities of the Russian flotilla.”
“Regular monitoring of approaches to North America is part of our mandate to defend Canada and North America.”
The Russian fleet, which arrived in Cuba ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean, consists of a nuclear submarine, an oil tanker and a rescue tug. They crossed Havana Bay after exercises in the Atlantic.
Russia is a long-time ally of Cuba; the relationship between the two countries dates back to the late 1950s after the Cuban Revolution.
With files from Mike Le Couteur, CTV News senior political correspondent, and The Associated Press
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