WASHINGTON, United States – The United States has reportedly been tracking Russian warships and aircraft that are expected to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise in the coming weeks.

According to an article from ABC News, the ships are expected to allegedly make port calls in Venezuela and Cuba. The exercise, which will be monitored by the US military, will involve a “handful” of Russian ships and support vessels, the two officials said.

ABC News reports that while this would not be the first time Russia has sent its ships to the Caribbean, this exercise is taking place as Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Moscow could take “asymmetrical steps” elsewhere in the world in response to US President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

It’s reported that Russia did not notify the US of the pending exercise.

ABC News says officials have revealed that they expect Russian ships to remain in the region throughout the summer and that similar exercises may follow in the future.