Venezuela, Russia end VenRus 2008 naval exercises

Russia and Venezuela end joint naval maneuvers as Venezuelan leader says the exercises were not meant to provoke the US or any other state.  Russian warships held training exercises named "VenRus 2008" in air defense, spotting, pursuing and detaining an intruding vessel with Venezuelan Navy.  Russian television on Tuesday showed images of a Venezuelan-operated Sukhoi fighter jet swooping low over Soviet warships in a simulated air attack.  The joint naval exercises also featured helicopters dropping special forces soldiers onto a ship as if it had been "seized by terrorists," according to a report on state-run Rossiya television.   Russia sent the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and support ships to the region where they were joined by three Venezuelan frigates for the exercises.   As the maneuvers ended late Monday with a fireworks display, Venezuelan warships returned home and the Russian squadron left the area.   Meanwhile, Venezuela President Hugo Chavez criticized US Navy for reactivating its Fourth Fleet which, as he says, poses a threat to his country while lauding Russian warships' presence in the Americas.  He said, neither the United States nor any other nation has anything to fear about the presence of Russian warships in the region.  Venezuela has previously held military training with Brazil, the Netherlands and other nations.  FTP/RA. Original source at PressTV