A Russian naval frigate and a nuclear-powered submarine have undertaken missile exercises in the Atlantic Ocean while making their way to Cuba, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The drills, conducted by the submarine Kazan and the warship Admiral Gorshkov, included launching precision missiles at simulated enemy targets from a distance exceeding 600km (370 miles), stated the ministry on Tuesday. Additionally, the Admiral Gorshkov executed training to counter an aerial attack in recent days.

The vessels are part of a fleet of four Russian ships expected to reach Cuba on Wednesday. Cuba announced last week that such visits are typical for naval units from nations allied with Havana, affirming that the ships are non-nuclear and pose no regional threat.

The visit will be under close scrutiny by the United States during a period of high tension with Russia over its conflict in Ukraine.

Though not viewed as a threat by the US, the Navy will observe the exercises, a US official mentioned to reporters last week.

“This illustrates Russia demonstrating its ability to project global power to some extent,” the official commented.

The Admiral Gorshkov is equipped with new Zircon hypersonic missiles, designed to be mounted on Russian cruisers, frigates, and submarines, and capable of targeting both sea and land. Russian President Vladimir Putin has promoted the Zircon as a formidable weapon that can penetrate any current antimissile defenses, traveling nine times the speed of sound with a range exceeding 1,000km (620 miles).

The Admiral Gorshkov and the Kazan are accompanied by two support ships for their Havana visit, which Cuban authorities state symbolize the “historically friendly relations” between Russia and Cuba. The Cuban Foreign Ministry announced that the Russian warships will stay in Havana from Wednesday until June 17.

This is not the first instance of Russian warships visiting the Caribbean, but the current visit comes after Putin warned that Moscow might react to Western allies of Ukraine by potentially arming the West’s adversaries worldwide with similar weapons.