On October 28, 2013 two Tu-160 strategic bombers have flown from the base in Engels to the Maiquetia airport near Caracas, Venezuela. Media reports quote an official statement that stated that the aircraft flew over the Carribean Sea and the Eastern part of the Pacific ocean before landing in Maiquetia. The reports also suggest that the bombers were escorted by interceptors from the Bodø Air Base in Norway. As part of the exercise, two Tu-95MS bombers reportedly provided radio link between the Tu-160 bombers and the command centers that were supporting the flight.

It is reported that it took the bombers 13 hours to cover 10,000 km. It should be noted, though, that 10,000 km is the straight line distance between Engels and Venezuela, so the actual flight path had to be longer even without the reported detour to the Eastern Pacific.

The two aircraft are Aleksandr Golovanov (No. 05) and Aleksandr Novikov (No. 12).

This is the second time Russian Tu-160 bombers visit Venezuela. The first visit took place in September 2008.

Finally, El Nacional web site has a nice photo gallery of the visit.