Russia condemns US provocation in boat incident near Cuba

Moscow, Feb 26 (Prensa Latina) Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserted that the incident involving a US-registered boat off the coast of Cuba was provoked by Washington to escalate tensions.

February 26, 2026
08:59

Zakharova emphasized, “This aggressive provocation by the United States aims to escalate the situation and trigger a conflict.”

The Cuban Interior Ministry (MININT) informed that a speedboat, registered in Florida, the United States, with registration number FL7726SH, was detected in the morning of February 25 within Cuban territorial waters. It approached within one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, Corralillo municipality, Villa Clara province.

“As a five-member Cuban Border Patrol Troops (TGF) unit of the Interior Ministry (MININT) approached to identify the vessel, the US speedboat opened fire on the Cuban border patrol personnel, resulting in the Cuban vessel’s commander being wounded,” the statement released by the military institution noted.

Following the confrontation, “four aggressors were killed, and six were injured,” Cuban authorities stated, and added that those injured were evacuated and received medical attention.

The MININT later informed that the 10 people aboard the US vessel were Cuban citizens residing in the United States.

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