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Russia, Venezuela to Exercise in the Caribbean Sea
Warships of Russia’s North Fleet will participate December 1 in the joint VENRUS 2008 military exercise of Russia’s and Venezuelan navies, RIA Novosti reported citing Rank 1 Captain Igor Dygalo. Dygalo heads the PR department at the RF Navy and is the aide to the RF Navy’s commander-in-chief.
Dygalo said the exercise will last for two days and its key purpose is to arrange the open-sea interaction of both countries’ warships.
Russia is represented by nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Veliky, or "Peter the Great", submarine hunter Admiral Chabanenko and two supply vessels. The North Fleet’s ships that arrived in Venezuela carry 1,600 marines of Russia. The vessel-based helicopters will also take part in the exercise.
According to Venezuela’s Defense Ministry, that country will be represented by three frigates, a ferry amphibian ship, four patrol ships, four coast guard motoboats, divisions of naval aviation and a squadron of Su-30MK2 fighters. Some 700 servicemen of Venezuela’s Armed Forces will participate in VENRUS 2008.
The exercise will be held outside Venezuela’s territorial water, in the economic area, some 100 miles to 150 miles from its coast.
The recent flight of Russia’s strategic bombers towards Venezuela and the arrival of Russia’s warships signal the military cooperation is developing and it is very useful, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev said during his past week’s visit to Venezuela.
www.kommersant.com
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