COLD WAR 21: Russia Sends Cruisers To Venezuela

Russia's cruiser Pyotr Veliky -- the flagship of the Nothern Fleet -- is moored at Severomorsk in 2007. A fleet of Russian warships set off from their Arctic base headed for Venezuela for exercises unprecedented since the Cold War and seen as a rebuff to the United States.

A fleet of Russian warships set off from their Arctic base on Monday headed for Venezuela for exercises unprecedented since the cold war and seen as a rebuff to the United States, a navy spokesman said.

"They left at 10:00 am (0600 GMT). It's the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky, the anti-submarine warship Admiral Chebanenko and other accompanying ships," Russian navy spokesman Igor Dygalo told AFP.

Dygalo said he could not reveal exactly how many ships were going to Venezuela or when they would arrive. He said only that the ships would travel 15,000 nautical miles to reach their destination.

The ships are from Russia's Northern Fleet and are based in Severomorsk. (source)