As Ukrainian situation heats up, armed Russian ship docks 200 miles off Florida coast

By Leada Gore | lgore@al.com
February 28, 2014 at 8:49 PM, updated February 28, 2014 at 9:02 PM


File photo of a Russian SSV-175 class ship.

As U.S. concerns mount over the volatile military situation in Ukraine, a Russian spy ship has docked in Cuba's Havana Bay for an unannounced visit.

The Viktor Leonov SSV-175 entered Cuban waters earlier this week before docking at a cruise ship terminal, Reuters is reporting.

Such visits are not unusual but are usually preceded by an official announcement of the visit. No such announcement was made this time and state-run Cuban media has remained quiet on the move.

The intelligence-gathering ship is reportedly armed with 30mm guns and anti-aircraft missiles. It arrived on Wednesday.

The move comes at a particularly tense time in U.S./Russian relationships, asPresident Barack Obama issued a stern warning to the former superpower to avoid becoming embroiled in the Ukrainian conflict.

Reports emerged Friday Russia had deployed as many as 2,000 troops to the Crimea region of the Ukraine. In response to the report, Obama said the "United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine."

The Russians have said the movements are part of a pre-scheduled military exercise. Later reports indicated the armed forces may not be military but rather a Russianprivate contractor force.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said earlier today he expects other nations to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and avoid provocative actions.

"I expect Russia to be transparent about these activities, and I urge them not to take any steps that could be misinterpreted, or lead to miscalculation during a ... time with great tensions," Hagel said.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2014/02/as_u...n_heats_u.html