Russia wants to reopen a Cuban spy base to give it 'eyes' in the West

Seeking to regain a spy ops foothold in the Western Hemisphere, Russia has tentatively reached an agreement with Cuba to re-open a Soviet-era intel base on the island. The base has been closed since 2001, but a "framework agreement has been agreed" between the two nations to get it up and running again, according to Reuters.

Vyacheslav Trubnikov, a former chief of Moscow's foreign intelligence operations, told Russia's Kommersant that the base gave the Soviet Union "eyes in the whole of the Western Hemisphere," and that it would "be no less valuable" to the nation today.

The move comes as European leaders and President Obama reportedly prepare to up sanctions against Moscow over its role in the fighting going on in eastern Ukraine.

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