"The ships of the Russian Northern Fleet and the frigate Fearless are going to stop in Tripoli to obtain supplies from October 11 to 13," navy spokesman Igor Dygalo told AFP.

The Northern Fleet ships, led by the massive nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great, will "fulfil several tasks in the Mediterranean Sea" before moving on to the Caribbean, Dygalo said, without giving further details.

Meanwhile the Fearless is headed to the coast off Somalia "to ensure the security of Russian vessels" in pirate-infested waters, a mission it was sent on after Somali pirates seized a Ukrainian cargo ship last month, Dygalo said.

On Sunday, the spokesman told Interfax news agency that the Northern Fleet ships had crossed through the Gibraltar Straits and would call at several Mediterranean ports before setting sail for Venezuela.

Russian media have speculated that the warships might stop in Syria, a former Cold War ally of Moscow.

The Russian warships, which include the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and escorting ships, are expected to arrive in Venezuela in late November at the invitation of the country's leftist firebrand president, Hugo Chavez.

Once there, they are scheduled to take part in joint exercises with the Venezuelan navy near US waters, something which has not been done since the Cold War.

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