After a stopover in Cuba, 2 Russian ships dock in a Venezuelan port as part of the “Show the Flag” exercises – KION546

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Two Russian navy ships have docked in the Venezuelan port of La Guaira as part of exercises in the Atlantic Ocean that Moscow says are aimed at “showing the flag” in remote and important areas. The frigate Almirante Gorshkov and the tanker Akademik Pashin are part of Russia’s Northern Fleet. Russian state media cited the Defense Ministry as saying the ships had been carrying out missions since mid-May that included “ensuring the Russian naval presence” in “remote areas of the oceans.” The stopover was expected to last several days and highlight Moscow’s close ties with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.