Russia denies that warships bound for Venezuela carry nuclear weapons

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The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that the vessels of the Russian North Sea fleet en route to the Caribbean to conduct joint naval exercises with Venezuelan warships are not carrying nuclear weapons.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Andrei Nesterenko, said: "There are no tactical nuclear weapons on board these ships," EFE reported.

"The (cruiser) 'Piotr Veliki' is equipped with a nuclear reactor and this does not violate any rule established in the agreement that declares Latin America as a nuclear-free zone", Nesterenko said at a news conference.

The Russian naval squadron, consisting of the nuclear cruiser "Piotr Veliki", the anti-submarine frigate "Admiral Chabanenko" and some support vessels, sailed last September 22 from the base of Severomorsk, northern Russia, en route to Venezuela.