Russian Navy Ship SURROUNDED by US Aircraft Carriers, Then THIS

Imagine this: Russian Navy ships in an endless ocean, carefully navigating the waters. But then, suggested, not one but multiple US aircraft carriers surround it! The massive silhouettes of enemy ships raise tensions. Nerves are high and anything can happen at any time because each vessel contains enough firepower for a fleet! 

As much as this sounds like a movie scene, it wasn’t. But that’s not it! There was more to it, just beneath the surface, that brought these giant ships equipped with military might to a standoff. So, what was it? And what happened next that turned this confrontation into something unimaginable at the time? 

Let’s relive the very moments when Russian and American ships were at the verge of shooting each other. Don’t miss the end, because it will completely blow your mind!

Background

In early June 2024, four Russian warships crossed the Atlantic Ocean for a naval exercise and were immediately on the Pentagon’s radar considering the tense relationship between two of the most powerful countries on the face of the Earth. Despite being on the Pentagon’s radar, the Russian navy ships went about their business as usual and planned to do live fire exercises to mimic Russia’s response in waters in case of a potential attack.

Dozens of Havana residents gathered around the city’s harbor when the Russian warships docked in. While this was an exciting development for the young Cubans, for the people from the older generation, it brought back memories of an intense Cold War when Russia and the United States were on the brink of launching nuclear missiles toward each other in October 1962.

The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the nuclear superpowers had ever come to a conflict. This encounter was different from earlier standoffs between the two countries that had fought side by side to defeat Germans in the Second World War just two decades ago. There were careful calculations involved.

The communication path between the USSR and the US was also opened, some of which were direct and open while others were kept a secret from the public of both countries. But that wasn’t it! The crisis was also surrounded by a lot of misunderstandings that brought things to a nuclear standoff in the first place.

This drama wasn’t confined to just a few telephones in embassies, but rather it unfolded at the highest levels of the government on both sides. So much so that President John F. Kennedy and the USSR Premier Nikita Khrushchev were directly monitoring the developments and the usual foreign policy bureaucracies played a minimal role.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

The United States tried to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s government in April 1961. The failed military operation, which is infamously known as the Bay of Pigs invasion, sent alarms across the high command in both Cuba and the USSR. The United States under the Kennedy administration started planning another secret operation against Cuba.

Seeing the developments in Washington D.C., in July 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban Premier Fidel Castro secretly agreed to place the Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuban soil. The purpose of this agreement was to have a deterrent against future U.S. invasion attempts against Cuba. 

In the late summer of 1962, the construction of these missile sites in Cuba began. The U.S. intelligence agencies also started noticing an increase in the Soviet arms in Cuba. These also include the Ilyushin Il-28 jet bombers routinely surveilling the Cuban skies. After a few weeks, on September 4, 1962, President John F. Kennedy gave an official warning against introducing offensive weapons in Cuba.

While some thought the warning would be enough to stop any potential move by the USSR, the socialist state didn’t take it seriously, and on 14th October 1962, a little over a month after Kennedy’s statement, surveillance footage by US U2 spy plane showed the construction of medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles sites in Cuba.

When the photos taken by the U2 reached the White House the next morning, it triggered the Cuban Missile Crisis. A high-profile meeting was immediately called by President Kennedy that included his close advisors and high command of the U.S. military. 

The Joint Chiefs of Staff suggested that, first, an air strike should be carried out to destroy the missile sites, and then Cuba should be invaded. The other advisors had different points of view and advised in favor of issuing strong warnings to Cuba and the USSR. As for President John F. Kennedy, he chose a different course of action.

Naval Quarantine of Cuba

On the 2nd of October 1962, the U.S. The President ordered the Navy to initiate naval quarantine of Cuba. The term “quarantine” was deliberately used instead of the word “blockade” to avoid any legal implications of the state of war. John Kennedy also sent a letter to the Soviet Premiere on the same day saying that transport of offensive weapons was unacceptable to the United States, and also demanding the dismantling of the missile sites the USSR had built in Cuba.

This letter was the first in a series of direct and indirect communications between the two global superpowers. An address to the American public was also aired on television in which the U.S. President informed his people about the developing situation in Cuba, his decision on the naval quarantine, and the consequences for the world if the Soviets and the Cubans didn’t back down. Kennedy’s address was serious and repeated the famous Monroe Doctrine that any nuclear attack from Cuba against any country in the Western Hemisphere would be considered an attack by the USSR and the United States would respond with full force.

Putin on the Same Path

Fast forward to 2024, Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, has issued a similar warning to the United States which highlights the serious threat that Russia’s nuclear arms pose to the U.S. and its allies.

According to Putin, Russian warships have come dangerously close to what he said was a “point of no return.” The use of this term by Putin shows the situation is as serious as it was a few decades ago. Putin also said that the plans by Western countries to strategically defeat Russia show their recklessness.

More than the content of Putin’s statement, it was the timing that caught international affairs experts’ attention. It came when the G7 leaders including Joe Biden were meeting in Italy. The agenda of this meeting included giving Ukraine financial aid using the money from confiscated Russian assets, which understandably infuriated Vladimir Putin. He said this planned action by the G7 was theft. The countries involved in decision-making will face serious consequences. 

Ukraine - A Stronger Opponent Than Expected

However, military experts say Russia doesn’t even have a proper fleet to pose any serious threats to the Western countries. This comes two years after everyone believed Ukraine would not be able to withstand Russian military power, but Ukraine proved all the skeptics wrong with its fierce resistance that continues in 2024 as well. Despite not having the same manpower or firepower as Russia, Ukraine has managed to push back against the Russian invasion and defend its sovereignty.

One of the most formidable challenges that Ukraine faced when Russia invaded the Eastern European country was its naval might. But, through international assistance and resourcefulness, Ukraine has made use of innovative strategies to challenge the Russian fleet in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Ukraine has actually done better than expected of it. 

For example, on the 22nd of March, 2022, just a month after the Russian invasion, a Ukrainian anti-tank guided missile hit a Russian Raptor-class vessel. Just two days later, Saratov, a Russian Alligator-class ship that was docked in Berdyansk, Ukraine suddenly caught fire.

The responsibility for this damage to the vessel was claimed by the Ukrainian Navy which said that short-range OTR 21 Tochka tactical ballistic missiles were used in the attack on the Russian ship. While Russia confirmed its vessel was towed from Berdiansk’s port, it didn’t give any details about the cause of the fire.

What’s even more important is the fact that this ship was one of only three such vessels currently in service. In the next few days, two more Russian ships, Tsezar Kunikoc, and Novocherkassk, also left Berdyansk under similar circumstances. But Ukraine’s biggest win in the naval theater came on April 13, 2022, when it sank Moskva, a Slava class guided missile cruiser, that was Russia’s flagship in the Black Sea. When Russia attacked Ukraine, Moskva played an important role in the amphibious assault. 

Moskva’s destruction was a huge blow to Russia because it was seen as one of the most powerful and iconic warships in the region. Ukraine used two Neptune anti-ship missiles to destroy the cruiser. But it wasn’t just the ship that was drowned, Russia lost a significant number of sailors too. Moskva’s destruction was symbolic and boosted the morale of the Ukrainian troops fighting the Russians on other fronts, too. 

The Russian Navy didn’t get any relief after Moskva’s destruction either and the attacks by the Ukrainian forces continued into early May 2022 as well and caused further challenge to Russia’s naval power in the region. The Bayraktar TB2 drones by Ukraine successfully hit four out of a total of 16 Raptor-class patrol boats.

This means 30% of Russia’s raptors were destroyed by Ukraine in just a couple of months. In another attack, three boats were completely damaged, and one was heavily damaged and taken to Sevastopol for repairs.  

Moreover, Ukraine sank a BK16 High-speed assault boat as well near Snake Island. The Bayraktar TB2 drones damaged a Serna-class landing craft on May 7, 2022. A little over a month after, on the 17th of June, 2022, a Buyan-M-class corvette Veliky Ustyug, which was also part of Russia’s invading fleet against Ukraine, was seen being towed away across the Volga river. It was one of just 20 such ships in service and was seen as a symbol of Russia’s naval modernization.

On the same day, Ukraine also said that it had sunk Vasily Bekh, the Russian rescue tug built to tow damaged ships, supply water and electricity to sailors on distressed ships, evacuate injured personnel, and fight fires at sea. Ukraine hit the Vasily Bekh with two Harpoon missiles that Denmark had provided it with. Similarly on October 29, 2022, Ukraine’s UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles struck and damaged a Russian minesweeper, Ivan Golubets, in Sevastopol. 

But the most significant strike that day came a few hours later when Admiral Gregorovic-class frigate, Admiral Makarov, which became Russia’s flagship in the Black Sea after the attack on Moskva, was hit by a Ukrainian drone resulting in damage to its radar. Although claimed as minor damage, it took the Russian Navy till August 2023 to repair the ship. 

On August 4, 2023, the Ukrainian Navy and Secret Service carried out a coordinated attack on the port of Novorossiysk, roughly 260 miles east of Sevastopol, and hit a Ropucha-class landing ship, Olenegorsky Gornyak. The damage to Olenegorsk Gornyak forced Russia to go on the defensive in its naval operations. Soon after the attack, Ukraine reported that Russian ships left the port and dispersed throughout the Black Sea.

A month after the successful attack on the port of Novorossiysk, on the 13th of September, 2023, Ukraine launched a nighttime operation on Sevastopol, and its Suco Se-24 bombers successfully targeted two key Russian vessels, the Rostov-na-Donu submarine and Minsk, a Ropucha-class landing ship. The bombers struck both ships with Storm Shadow missiles which resulted in visible destruction of Minsk and rendered the Rostov-na-Donu submarine irreparably damaged. Sevastopol‘s dry dock repair facility was also severely damaged, making it increasingly difficult for Russia to quickly repair its Naval assets. The Su-24 bombers also sank a Tunets-class patrol boat.

Ukraine brought back its naval drones on September 24, 2023, and damaged the Project 22160 patrol ship, Sergey Kotov. While the patrol ships remained undamaged from the attack at the time, it was hit again by Magura V5 maritime drones on March 5th, 2024 which successfully sank it off the Crimean coast. It was the third major sinking of a Russian ship by Ukraine in 2024.

One of the previous two notable sinkings in 2024 had come in February when on the 1st of February Magura V5 maritime drones sank a Russian Tarantul-class corvette, Ivanovets, in Donuzlav, Crimea. The hit was so severe that the fire reached the ship’s magazine and resulted in a series of harrowing explosions as Ivanovets sank. It didn’t take long for Ukraine to carry out another successful attack on a Russian vessel that had already been damaged in one of the attacks in March 2022. The I-class landing ship, Tsecar Kunikov, met the same fate as many other Russian vessels since the war began. Russian sources also confirmed its sinking following the release of footage by Ukrainian authorities in which a Magura V5 drone was seen approaching the Russian ship at high speed. The drone swiftly neared the vessel at nighttime like a speedboat and triggered a spectacular explosion on the 370-foot-long warship. Soon, the Tsecar Kunikov was sinking into the sea while it carried 70 crew members.

While the attack itself was shocking for the Russian leaders, the aftermath was even more profound. Black Sea Fleet Commander of the Russian Navy, Admiral Victor Sokolov was dismissed by Vladimir Putin. Sokolov was quickly replaced by Vice Admiral Sergei Pinchuk highlighting the fact that Ukraine had successfully hit Russia at its sensitive points in the Black Sea. But the repostings and replacements didn’t stop at Admiral Sokolov. Putin was so infuriated at the Russian Navy’s failure to intercept Ukrainian attacks that just a month after replacing Sokolov with Pinchuk, he removed the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov from his post. 

Russia tried hard to avoid any further damage to its naval fleet at the hands of the Ukrainians but failed. On March 23, 2024, a Yuri Ivanov-class intelligence ship, Ivan Khurs was hit by missiles during Ukraine’s military attack on Sevastopol.

This wasn’t the first time this ship had been targeted. Ukrainian drones had targeted it in May 2023 as well. Ivan Khurs is an integral part of the Russian military because it is equipped with electronic surveillance devices and radar warning receivers. Before the attack on it, Ivan Khurs was successfully locating Ukrainian radars and missile installations along the Black Sea coast. 

For Ukraine, it is important to protect such equipment because, otherwise, it will never be able to defend itself against the naval and aerial attacks of an enemy that is superior in numbers, firepower, and technology. The Russian Navy’s oldest operational ship, the Kommuna, came into Ukraine's military’s crosshairs on April 21, 2024, when it was struck by an anti-ship missile in Sevastopol.

Although Ukraine claimed it had significantly damaged the ship, the exact details have been kept a secret by the Russian Navy and are yet to be disclosed. 

Magura V5 naval drones have been very effective and helpful in Ukraine’s assaults on the Russian Navy. On May 6, 2024, in another show of their effectiveness, Magura V5 drones destroyed a Mangust-class patrol boat that is normally used for search and rescue operations, and countering subversive activities. The destruction of the patrol boat cost Russia a staggering $3 million.   

An Impressive Feat

Adding up all these attacks on Russia’s naval fleet explains why experts and reports have been praising Ukrainian forces for taking down as much as 25% of Russian ships since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war. This achievement becomes even more impressive when we take into account the fact that Ukraine doesn’t even have a navy. 

The successes that Ukraine has achieved since the conflict began are a result of innovative and asymmetric warfare tactics against a stronger opponent. But despite destroying several ships in the Russian Naval Fleet, Ukraine hasn’t stopped looking for and experimenting with new ways to sink enemy vessels. 

Russia on the Backfoot?

The international arena is also filled with rumors that Russian warships are abandoning the Black Sea altogether. This has also come as a ray of hope for Ukraine and its supporters who believe that the Eastern European country might reclaim its sovereignty over Crimea after a few years. 

There is no denying Russia’s military might, but a question arises here: can it simply replace all the ships that Ukraine has or will destroy during the course of this war? The answer to this question lies in the Russian military’s industrial capabilities. Russia was known for its robust industrial complex and vast resources but the situation has drastically changed ever since it invaded Ukraine. Russia has fully mobilized politically, and militarily in the past two and a half years which has cost billions of dollars, an amount the Russian economy wasn’t ready for.

The Kremlin cannot easily replenish the resources that have been drained by the large-scale mobilization of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border. With already a dwindling economy, replacing the vessels damaged or destroyed by Ukraine’s military is even more difficult. Then there is the factor of time. A warship takes a lot of time to build or repair, which Russia doesn’t have considering the fierce resistance by the Ukrainian troops. Let alone ships, basic supplies such as ammunition, and shells are being used faster than they can be replaced.

Moreover, due to international sanctions, Russian ship-building companies are facing a serious shortage of integral engine parts which has also limited their ability to produce new ships equipped with advanced technology. 

Now, another question arises: can Russia call upon warships from other of its fleets to fill the gaps left by the vessels that the Ukrainians have destroyed over the past two and a half years? While Russia might be able to do that in theory, it’s a different story in practice. Any such plans by Russia face a major hurdle in the form of Turkey. The Black Sea dynamics have greatly shifted after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. It has given Turkey significant leverage in the region.

Article 19 of the Montreux Convention, a convention on the passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Strait, states that military vessels shouldn’t be placed in the Black Sea. Due to this, Turkey has closed these straits which means the other Russian fleets cannot come to the assistance of the Black Sea Fleet if they wanted to.

The United States had praised Turkey’s decision to block the passageway to the Black Sea as it gives Ukraine’s security a significant boost. 

United States’ Response to Russian Vessels in Havana

The main question still remains: how has the United States responded to the Russian vessels in Havana? Although the U.S. initially downplayed the threats posed by the presence of these ships so close to the American border, it has taken some proactive measures as well. 

The USNI or the United States Naval Institute also highlighted it on June 11, 2024, which reported that Russia had carried out missile tests in the Atlantic. According to the USNI, there are several ship spotters stationed along the coast of the United States to keep a close eye on Russian activities. But that’s not all. The United States has also dispatched several ships, which include three guided-missile destroyers as well, to survey the Russian Fleet.

A P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft that is specifically ordered to counter the Kazan nuclear submarine shows a robust approach by the United States that wants to match and, in case of need, neutralize the potential threats if the Russian warships deviate from their stated training objectives.

Within 24 hours of the report by the USNI, the UK’s Daily Mail said that the American ships were positioned just off the US coastline because Russian ships were just 25 miles away from Florida. The Royal Canadian Navy also joined hands with the U.S. Navy and deployed the HMCS Ville de Quebec which is a Halifax-class frigate and was intended to support the American ships in their monitoring operations.

This coordination between the U.S. and Canada also shows that America remains vigilant in carefully monitoring the situation.

What Happens in Case of a Confrontation?

But what happens if Russia launches an attack or engages in aggressive actions on the U.S. or Canadian ships during the stated naval exercises? Which scenario will unfold then? Finding an answer to this question is quite difficult because, for that, we will need to examine exactly what the Russian vessels are capable of and what resources are deployed by the United States in response.

Among the four Russian ships, there is a rescue tug and a fleet oil tanker that only plays a supportive role and doesn’t have the firepower required for direct naval combat. If a conflict arises between the United States and Russia, the likely focal point will be Admiral Gorshkov and the Kazan submarine. Admiral Gorshckov, the lead vessel of Russia’s new Gorshkov class multirole frigates had its construction begin in 2005 and is seen as a symbol of Russia’s efforts to modernize its Naval capability against a far superior American Navy.

With a length of 426 feet and 200 sailors to run it, Admiral Gorshckov is equipped with formidable weapons and equipment, such as 3D Air Search Radars. Because of its cutting-edge technology, the ship can protect incoming jets and can even intercept anti-ship missiles. But there is more to it. The arsenal includes a 130 mm gun mount and a 30 mm close-in weapon system to counter any aerial threats.

Admiral Gorshkov is also equipped with eight anti-missiles, Russia’s SS-NX-26 Yakhonts, These missiles have a range of 186 miles and are designed to keep the Russian fleet safe. They also offer a choice between the 440-pound power explosive warhead and a 555-pound semi-armor piercing warhead. 

Because of these capabilities, the ships are formidable against smaller ships. These improvements were further strengthened in 2002 when new features were added to the ship. Imaging, infrared, and Active Radar secrets The missiles in the Gorshkov can go to even Mack 2.2 which makes it extremely difficult to intercept them. 

But that’s not the end of the story! Admiral Gorshkov also has the Medvedka-2 anti-submarine warfare system, 21 torpedo tubes, and a surface-to-air defense system, the Hurricane. The list goes on because the ship has BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles as well which can carry a 660-pound warhead to over 180 miles. 

The Zircon, an anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile, is also part of Groshkov’s arsenal which can fly as fast as 9 times the speed of sound. It has a range of 620 miles and an advanced radar system. All these weapons show one thing: Admiral Gorshkov is an extremely powerful vessel on paper that showcases Russia’s most advanced naval technology.  

But how would the American destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, fare with Gorshkov in a separate standoff? The USS Donald Cooks was commissioned in 1998 and is 505 feet long which gives it an edge over Gorshkov in terms of length. Compared to the 200-member crew in Gorshkov, the USS Donald Cooks is operated by 330 sailors and up to 26 officers at full capacity.

Although the USNI did not disclose the details of the destroyers the United States had deployed in response to the Russian ships’ presence in Cuba, the Daily Mail’s report on the presence of the USS Donald Cook suggests that the United States gave a robust response.

As far as the head-to-head scenario is concerned: the odds are slightly in favor of the USS Donald Cook because it has both a bigger size and a greater firepower. However, the outcome of a confrontation will depend on a series of other factors too, such as the crew, tactics, training, and the context of the operation. 

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer is another formidable warship in the US Navy’s fleet that would also pose a serious threat to Admiral Goshkov. To start with, it has the MK 41 launching system that can deploy a wide range of missiles that can be used in any combat scenario. These missiles include anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and ballistic missiles. Because of this versatility, the US Navy destroyer has the ability to simultaneously counter Admiral Goshkov and the Kazan submarine.

When it comes to its missile arsenal, the USS Donal Cook has vertical-launch anti-submarine rocket missiles. Each of these missiles can go up to 10 miles carrying a highly explosive warhead weighing approximately 97 pounds. The warship is also equipped with Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles. In case of a confrontation with Admiral Gorshkov, Harpoon missiles are likely to be used by the United States. They have a range of upto 149 miles and also have a substantial payload of 493 pounds.  

While these missiles aren’t as fast as the hypersonic missiles on Admiral Gorshkov, these missiles on the USS Donald Cooks are powerful and can be launched in multiple salvos. The warship is also armed with an MK 45 5-inch lightweight gun, MK torpedoes, 225 machine guns, and a Phalanx Close-in Weapon System to defend the vessel in case of an incoming threat.

Admiral Gorshkov certainly has three hypersonic missiles that can target any place within its range in just seconds. However, the three destroyers deployed by the United States show that the United States is not taking any chances and has an overwhelming amount of power present in the form of its warships. Even if one of the destroyers was overpowered, the other destroyers could quickly respond to the threat. 

Similarly, the Kazan submarine is another significant leap in Russia’s submarine technology. Introduced in 2009, Russia has given it several upgrades eventually making it one of the leading assets in Russia’s submarine fleet. Because of its advanced capabilities, the Royal United Services Institute has described Kazan as the future of Russia’s submarine force. 

Kazan is a nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine that can launch a number of different anti-ship and land attack missiles. These missiles include the three M22 hypersonic missiles, four P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles, and five 3M54-1 Kalibr missiles that can go as far as 186 miles and carry a 3461-pound warhead. There are also 10 533 mm torpedo tubes for wire-guided torpedoes. 

The Kazan submarine is powered by a 4th generation KTP nuclear reactor and is famous for its stealth as it is the quietest vessel in the Russian Navy. But it is highly unlikely that the Kazan will withstand an attack by the US destroyers. Similarly, the P8-A also poses a significant threat to Kazan and Admiral Gorshkov. 

Outro

This is why there is a common point of view that the Russian warships do not pose any serious threats to the United States. 

This also means that the US Navy has an upper hand over the Russian Navy in case a conflict broke out between the two foes,

But, Putin’s objectives are different, and therefore his approach is different. Russia’s historical ties with Cuba are as strong as they are in the current situation. Not only defense, the two countries are also working on enhancing economic and energy cooperation. 

This is a clear message to the US that Russia has a dependable ally that sits just a few miles from the United States and would allow Russia to use its land and water if needed.