Monday, December 10, 2018

Russian warplanes, navy ships to visit Venezuela

Have observed the following aircraft headed to Venezuela.

RuAF IL62 RA-82035 RFF8345
RuAF IL62 RA-86496 RFF8347
Russian strategic aviation 2 Tu-160 (#RF-94102 and RF-94100)
Russian strategic aviation Tu-160 (#RF-94108) returned to base

From the Daily Item:

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's defense minister says the country's aircraft and navy ships will make visits to Venezuela.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the statement during Thursday's talks in Moscow with his Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino Lopez. Shoigu said Russia's military aircraft would continue to make stopovers in Venezuela and its ships would calls at its ports as part of bilateral military cooperation, but didn't mention any specific dates.
Padrino Lopez said Caracas hopes that Moscow will help modernize previously supplied weapons.
Russia sent its Tu-160 strategic bombers and a missile cruiser to visit Venezuela in 2008 amid tensions with the U.S. after Russia's brief war with Georgia.
Russia-U.S. relations are currently at post-Cold War lows over Ukraine, the war in Syria and allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.