Amid escalating tensions with the West, four Russian naval warships have arrived in Cuba including a nuclear submarine.
The Cuban government has insisted that the vessels do not pose any danger as they are not equipped with nuclear weapons, an indirect reference to the United States.
The BBC was told by US officials that the military officials are monitoring the situation closely.
Vessels Docked 90 Miles From Florida
The Russian defense ministry and the Cuban media claimed that the vessels were docked around 90 miles from the US state of Florida at Havana Bay.
The ministry said the warships can be equipped with sophisticated weapons, including hypersonic missiles Zircon and other destructive weapons.
However, the US officials ruled out the fact that the vessels were indeed carrying nuclear weapons the moment they arrived in Cuba.
Political experts believe the visit is a show of force from the Russian side that it can meddle in communist Cuba, what many consider to be a backyard of the US.
