Politics The command of the Russian Air Force (FAR) pointed out on Thursday that the two Russian Tupolev TU-160 strategic bombers that landed at Venezuela's Libertador military airfield, north-west Venezuela, do not carry nuclear warheads.

"There are not nuclear weapons on those planes," said Vladimir Drik, a spokesman for the Russian Air Force, as reported by Interfax.

He added that during the flight, which lasted thirteen hours, the two supersonic planes were approached by two NATO F-16's on two opportunities, EFE reported.

"A US F-16 would meet our planes over Iceland; on the second occasion, a couple of Norwegian F-16 planes approached the TU-160 over the Norwegian Sea," said Drik.

The Russian official said that the NATO airplanes did not approach the Russian bombers "in a dangerous manner" and they remained at "a safe distance".