A Russian navy squadron set off for Venezuela yesterday to take part in joint manoeuvres with the Latin American country, a Russian navy spokesman said.
Igor Dygalo said the nuclear-powered Peter the Great cruiser, accompanied by three other ships, set sail from the Russian Northern Fleet's base of Severomorsk. The ships will cover about 15,000 nautical miles and conduct the manoeuvres with the Venezuelan navy, he said.
The deployment comes as the Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, plans to visit Moscow this week. It will be his second trip to Russia in two months.
The Kremlin has moved to intensify relations with Venezuela, Cuba and other Latin American nations amid increasingly strained relations with Washington after last month's war with Georgia.
It has signed weapons contracts worth more than US$4bn with Venezuela since 2005 to supply fighter jets, helicopters, and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.
