
(NationalUSNews.com) — Despite the rising tensions between Russia and Western nations like the United States, intelligence officials believe Russia plans to conduct naval drills in the Caribbean sometime in the next few months.
According to members of various intelligence agencies, Russia intends to use the naval drills as a show of force and intimidation. Russia’s planned drill comes as the Kremlin has openly criticized the United States for its ongoing support of Ukraine. The naval drills also come just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Russia could retaliate against Western countries.
While Russia likely plans to conduct the naval drill sometime in the next few weeks, United States intelligence officials believe Putin may order a similar maritime drill in the fall. Putin’s second naval drill would likely span the entire globe as another show of force for other countries that have supported Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Although tensions between the United States and Russia remain at an all-time high, some military experts have assured Americans they shouldn’t feel worried about the naval drill, as it’ll only feature a “handful” of Russian-operated watercraft and support ships.
United States officials also believe Putin may have planned the naval drills to show other global powers that Russia remains capable of naval conflicts despite Ukraine sinking several Russian ships over the past few weeks. Putin hasn’t directly addressed the loss of vessels in Russia’s war with Ukraine and instead remains adamant that Russia has superior firepower and combat capabilities. Putin has also warned other global powers that Russia may take action against other nations that have supported Ukraine, including the United States, following a recent strike on Russia that included American-manufactured weaponry.
The Biden administration has also confirmed that the upcoming drills shouldn’t alarm Americans, as Russia has performed several drills in the Western hemisphere over the past decade. One official claimed that the drills will likely become more frequent over the coming months, despite the heightened cost for Russia’s military. According to intelligence officials, Russia did not warn the United States about the impending exercise, as the Navy discovered the deployment using movement-tracking technology. Although Russia didn’t warn the United States, members of the United States military remain confident that the drills won’t result in conflict, as Russia rarely issues a warning before operating in regions near other countries.
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