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Russian Bombers back from Venezuela
Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers flew from Caracas to Russia Thursday morning and landed at Engels air base in Saratov Region, Interfax information agency reports. They had refueled in flight near Great Britain, Gen. Maj. Alexander Blazhenko told journalists. “Mission accomplished,” he said. He added that the bombers’ presence in Venezuela was not connected to events in South Ossetia. “We had been preparing for the mission for a long time,” he said. “It was just unclear what country we would go to. Finally, Venezuela proposed a partnership.”
The planes’ crews are now going through passport control and customs. The planes set a record for flight length for that model in their flights to Venezuela on September 10 and back on September 18, Russian Air Force Commander Alexander Afinogentov said. The flights to Libertador Airport outside Caracas lasted more than 15 hours. The return flight took 13 hours. They were refueled with more than 25 tons of kerosene near Great Britain. While they were in Britain, the Saratov-based planes took part in several training exercises and patrolled the eastern shore of South America.
Afinogentov added that the transit flights were also distinguished by the difficult weather conditions they passed through. They were accompanied by NATO jet fighter in neutral waters over the Atlantic and Northern Oceans. There will be joint Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises in Venezuelan territorial waters in November. The Russian missile cruiser Peter the Great will take part in those. Russian anti-ship planes are expected to be sent to the naval exercises as well.
www.kommersant.com
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