The news was reported by Ria Novosti news agency. It is absolutely false, Putin replied to journalists who urged him on the subject.
According to the Kommersant newspaper, however, the Russians have signed an agreement with Cuba to reopen the SIGINT plant in Lourdes, near Havana. The agreement was reached during the lightning visit (just 24 hours) of Vladimir Putin in Cuba, which took place last Friday.
The agreement would be reached in the presence of Raul and Fidel Castro. The plant which is 250 km from the US coast was taken out of service in 2001, under pressure from the United States and a lack of funding. Moscow, however, has never hidden its desire to reopen the facility.
With the plant in Cuba, Russia would acquire an intelligence capacity in the western hemisphere far superior to the current one.
Washington is closely following the evolution of the situation.
Franco Iacch
(photo: Russian Presidency)
