Moscow on the line

Just how much damage did hurricane Gustav cause in western Cuba?

If you believe the official figures released by the Castro regime, some 90,000 homes were seriously damaged or destroyed by the hurricane, mainly in the province of Pinar del Rio.

But these figures are almost certainly conservative.

Which may explain why the Russian Government has just announced it will send four planeloads of “emergency aid” to Cuba, including construction equipment and tents designed to house as many as 5,000 people.