On Wednesday, 26 February 2026, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on an exchange of fire off the coast of Cuba. The same day, the Cuban border guard killed four people and injured six during a confrontation with a motorboat that entered Cuba’s territorial waters from the direction of Florida.
Cuban media reported that those on board were Cubans residing in the United States. According to those reports, the individuals were allegedly planning actions of a terrorist nature. Maria Zakharova described the incident as a provocation by the United States.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that American authorities are clarifying the circumstances of the incident. He said it was not an operation of the United States government and that no representatives of the US administration were involved.