MOSCOW. July 11 (Interfax-AVN) - The two Russian Su-30 fighters that took part in the festivities in Venezuela will return to Russia, but Rosoboronexport - the Russian official arms trader - does not deny that a contract may soon be signed on supplies of such aircraft to Caracas.
"Our aircraft participated in the festivities in Venezuela on July 5, but were in the country on conditions of a temporary stay," Rosoboronexport's Deputy Director General Ivan Goncharenko told a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday.
He said that his company has entered talks with Venezuela on supplies of Su-30MK-2 aircraft to the country. "We are quite satisfied with the progress the negotiations are making," he said but refused to specify the exact number of fighters to be shipped. According to Venezuelan mass media, there will be 24 such aircraft.
Goncharenko also said that the supplies of a large batch of Russian helicopters and other military hardware was discussed. "We are also negotiating the supplies of more than 30 Mil helicopters, including Mi-17s, Mi-35s and Mi-26s," he said.