MOSCOW. Sept 24 (Interfax-AVN) - A group of Russian Northern Fleet vessels led by the nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky plans to visit more than 25 countries during a long-range cruise, which started on Monday and which should last for two months, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said at a meeting with the top managers of the leading Russian media outlets.
"We have not made such cruises for quite a long time," Serdyukov said.
"Strategic command post exercises Stability 2008 are under way simultaneously," he added.
"The Navy has prepared for this cruise for more than a year," he said.
Serdyukov recalled that two Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers had recently flown to Venezuela. "Our long-range aviation has not flown that far for a long time," he said.