Russian White Swans Make Friendly Flight Over to Venezuela, Causes Meltdown in American Media

A friendly visit by Russian strategic bombers to Venezuela has raised a ruckus in the American media.

A friendly visit by Russian strategic bombers to Venezuela has raised a ruckus in the American media. The "White Swans" are there for joint exercises. The media attempted to heighten tensions before the maneuvers even began. During the 13-hour flight, the Tu-160s were accompanied by a Western fighter escort.

Here's Mikhail Fedotov with a report on the welcome the bombers received in Caracas.

 

This is the runway at Simón Bolívar International Airport, which was named after the Venezuelan national hero. There's a small dot on the horizon. The "White Swans" are about to land in South America. A few moments later, the silhouette of a Tu-160 strategic bomber could be clearly seen in the cloudless sky. The Vasily Reshetnikov was the first to touch the runway. The Nikolai Kuznetsov followed, which was accompanied by an honorary Venezuelan fighter escort. Each "Swan" has its own name. They crossed the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean and covered 6,200 miles in 13 hours. The welcome they received wasn't just warm, it was hot, literally; it was over 90 degrees outside. The pilots gave the Venezuelan defense minister models of their bomber. On the square by the terminal, the delegation was greeted by an honor guard. A military orchestra played the Russian national anthem.

According to the pilots, the flight wasn't easy, and not just because of its length. Multiple NATO states have already accused Russia of sending armed Tu-160s to Venezuela, claiming that they're carrying nuclear weapons. They were accompanied by Western military aircraft for almost the entire time.

Oleg Pchela, commander of a division of the Russian Long-Range Aviation: "We were accompanied by fighters from Norway, Iceland, Great Britain, and France. There were up to eight aircraft".

The visit of the strategic bombers to the Bolivarian Republic caused a mass hysteria in the US media. Leading American TV channels brought up the notorious Russian threat on the news.

"Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slams Russia for sending two strategic bombers to Venezuela. They're capable of carrying missiles with a range of up to 3,400 miles".

After the formal greeting, the hosts were able to tour the planes. The Venezuelan minister even got to sit in the cockpit.

Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuelan Minister of Defense: "It's more than cooperation, it's friendship based on trust. We established a warm relationship in the military and technical fields during Hugo Chávez's rule and continue to maintain it during Maduro's presidency".

After the long flight, the bombers were serviced. Tomorrow, they'll be back in the sky.

Mikhail Fedotov and Azat Atagonov, Vesti, Venezuela.