Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers returned from Venezuela to their base in central Russia's Saratov region early Friday after a 15-hour flight.
"The mission seems to have been accomplished," Maj. Division Commander Gen. Alexander Blazhenko said, adding that the flight has nothing to do with the recent clashes in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.
"We started preparations for this mission a long time ago. Initially, we were unclear which country we would fly to. Finally, Venezuela offered us cooperation. It's just a fatal coincidence --not more than that," he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
The flight back to Russia was conducted over the neutral waters of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The aircraft were air refueled by Ilyushin Il-78 tankers over the Norwegian Sea.
The Tu-160 bombers, which are capable of carrying 12 long-range cruise missiles, arrived in Venezuela on Sept. 10 and were accompanied by NATO fighters during their 13-hour flight to the South American country.
During their stay in Venezuela, the Russian bombers made patrolling flights over the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic. According to the Russian Air Force headquarters, the bombers had no nuclear weapons on board.
Russia resumed strategic bomber patrols over remote areas last year, 15 years after the long-range maneuvers were suspended with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Russian bombers have since carried out more than 90 strategic patrol flights and have often been escorted by NATO planes.
Source: Xinhua
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