Russian warships call in Libya

2008-10-11 18:52

Tripoli - Russian warships bound for Venezuela, including the nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great), put in Saturday at the Libyan port of Tripoli for refuelling.

Only one ship was able to enter the port, which is not deep enough to allow the other vessels to dock, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

Two other warships of the Russian northern fleet could be seen in the distance, the correspondent reported.

Earlier, Russian naval spokesperson Igor Dygalo said the warships also included the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and support vessels, Interfax news agency reported.

The frigate Neustrashimiy (Intrepid), which left Russia two weeks ago bound for Somalia where it was to join in fighting piracy in the region, was also among the vessels that put into Tripoli on Saturday, Interfax said.

Dygalo said the port call was scheduled to be completed on Monday.

'Symbolic muscle-flexing'

The ships would then resume manoeuvres at unspecified locations in the Mediterrannean Sea before heading to Venezuela for joint naval exercises next month, he said.

Russia and Venezuela announced their joint military exercises last month amid high tensions between Moscow and Washington and Russian irritation at the presence of US warships near Russian waters in the Black Sea.

The planned Russian naval presence in what the United States has long regarded as its "backyard" would be unprecedented since the Cold War, but Washington has mocked the move as nothing more than symbolic muscle-flexing.

Russia-US tensions spiked in August during the conflict in Georgia. Russia has repeatedly criticised the United States for using navy ships for what Washington has said was delivery of humanitarian aid to ally Georgia.

The Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises were scheduled to take place near the end of November.

- AFP