A Russian Navy flotilla headed by the guided missile cruiser Moskva has arrived in Havana, exchanging a salute of artillery with a Cuban shore battery.

The Communist Party daily Granma reports that the Moskva will be open to the public on Monday and says the three ships that arrived Saturday will stay for several days on a friendly visit.

Russian military forces were a common sight in Cuba during the days of the Soviet Union, which was a close ally of the country in its political confrontation with the United States. And Russian vessels have visited several times since. Most of Cuba's weaponry was produced in the Soviet Union or Russia, though trade relations between the two nations have slumped in recent years.