|
MOSCOW - RUSSIAN warships set sail on Monday for manoeuvres in the Caribbean area aimed at demonstrating Moscow's return, as a global power on the military and political stage, to the US.
The exercises, drawing on a strong alliance with Venezuela's anti-American President Hugo Chavez, will be closely watched by Western navies as the first such projection of Russian power close to US shores since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the nuclear-powered heavy missile cruiser, Peter the Great, and anti-submarine destroyer, Admiral Chabanenko, left their base near Murmansk with two support ships for the 24,140km passage to Venezuela.
After the Georgian war, Russia had expressed anger over the appearance of US warships in the Black Sea region - which it considers under its sphere of influence - to deliver aid to Georgia.
Mr Dygalo declined to comment on media reports that nuclear submarines would participate in the exercises and that the warships would visit Syria, where Russia has signalled an interest in developing bases.
'During the trip, the ships will take part in the first joint exercises with the Venezuelan navy, aimed at training rescue
drills and operations against sea terrorists,' Mr Dygalo said of the mission, expected to last several months.
Since the fall of the USSR, Russia's once-proud armed forces had declined rapidly. Ships lacked fuel to sail to sea, warplanes were grounded, and troops were neglected. With soaring oil revenues, the Kremlin poured money into the armed forces as a symbol of revived national prowess.
But Western analysts say the fleet needs much modernisation. Earlier this month, Moscow sent TU-160 strategic bombers to Venezuela. Most analysts say this was part of Moscow's reaction to US deals to deploy elements of its missile-defence system in Eastern Europe, close to Russia's borders. Moscow, over US denials, sees the system as a threat to its nuclear deterrent.
Russian media reported on Monday that the naval group could be larger and more heavily-armed than realised in the
West, and could make unexpected port calls.
'The Russian warships will be followed by anti-submarine airplanes,' Russia's Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily said.
All in the US backyard. -- REUTERS
| 
