Shotgunmen participated this Friday in military exercises in Alquízar, in the province of Artemisa, where they received training to shoot down unmanned vehicles (drones) during a new observance of National Defense Day.
The exercises took place in the Defense Zone 01 Urbano Norte and included the installation and removal of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, as well as the assembly and disassembly of rifles and combat medical drills.
According to the official newspaper El artemiseño, the activities took place in the vicinity of the educational institution Antón Nilsson, with participation from workers of the UBPC Felipe Herrera and the CPA Héroes de Yaguajay.
The event also included training on how to transport the injured, immobilize limbs, and apply self-assistance techniques, along with approximately 50 blood donations.
The exercise was presided over by Gladys Martínez Verdecia, president of the Provincial Defense Council of Artemisa; Ricardo Concepción Rodríguez, vice president of that organization; and Colonel Luis A. Corujo Estrada, head of the General Staff of the Artemisa Military Region.
The Defense Zone 01 Urbano Norte covers 32.5 square kilometers, encompasses five population settlements with over 10,000 inhabitants, and plans to evacuate 4,856 people in the event of a conflict, explained its president, Andrés Collazo Barnet.
The training of shotgunners against drones is part of a series of similar exercises conducted in other provinces. In June, a squad from the Matanzas Military Region simulated the confrontation with unmanned aerial vehicles in simultaneous maneuvers with Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey, and Cienfuegos.
In August, Cienfuegos activated its defense structures in Aguada de Pasajeros with training for reservists.
These mobilizations are part of the so-called Year of Preparation for Defense, declared by the regime for 2026, and under the military doctrine of "Total People's War."
The strategy gained greater political prominence after the capture in January of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces, an episode that Havana interpreted as a possible precedent for action against Cuba.
However, the military preparations announced by the authorities contrast with the material limitations of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
An analysis by the network CNN published in June indicated that its active troops have decreased from 235,000 soldiers in the early nineties to a maximum of 50,000 currently, while a significant portion of its Soviet equipment remains outdated.
The lack of fuel and spare parts also keeps the MiG fighters virtually inoperable, according to that analysis.
In April, other military maneuvers in Villa Clara drew attention for the use of mules and ox carts as means of transportation. The exercises sparked mockery on social media in a country facing prolonged blackouts and a deep economic crisis. According to the provided data, more than 1,300 protests were recorded just in May.
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