PRESSTV - A fleet of Russian warships has set sail for Venezuela to take part in joint exercises seen as a rebuff to the US.
The navy squadron from Russia's Northern Fleet, based in Severomorsk, set off from its Arctic base on Monday to take part in joint maneuvers with Venezuela in November.
Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the nuclear-powered cruiser, the Peter the Great, accompanied by three other ships set sail at 10:00 am (0600 GMT), and would travel 15,000 nautical miles to reach their destination.
The Kremlin has recently stepped up its contacts with Venezuela, Cuba and other Latin American nations as relations with Washington deteriorated over last month's Russia-Georgia conflict.
Moscow and Caracas have signed weapons contracts worth more than US$4 billion since 2005 to supply fighter jets, helicopters, and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles and are looking to extend bilateral co-operation on energy.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who will visit Moscow this week, said on Sunday that Latin America needed a strong friendship with Russia to help reduce Washington's influence in the region.
During the Cold War, Latin America became an ideological battleground between the Soviet Union and the United States.
FF/WY - PRESSTV