Politics A navy squadron of the Russian North Sea Fleet headed toward the Strait of Gibraltar to carry out maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sean and then sail to the Caribbean waters to hold joint exercises with Venezuela's navy, reported on Thursday the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The squad, consisting of the atomic cruiser Piotr Veliki (Peter the Great), the frigate  Admiral Chabanenko (an antisubmarine warfare vessel) and support vessels, sailed on September 22 from Severomorsk, a navy base in northern Russia, and will reach the  Mediterranean on Sunday, said the Ministry in a statement published on its website, Efe reported.

The statement said that the vessels of the Russian fleet will carry out training maneuvers in several areas of the Mediterranean Sea and they will also visit the ports of some Arab countries, including the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

"Upon fulfilling in the Mediterranean Sea all the tasks assigned, the squadron of the Northern Sea Fleet will head to the Caribbean to arrive in Venezuela on the specified dates, in order to hold joint military exercises," added the statement.