Tension between American and Russia grows after two bomber planes land in Venezuela

Two Russian strategic bombers landed in 'America's backyard' last night, further ratcheting up tensions between Moscow and Washington.

It was not known if the Tu-160s which landed in Venezuela were carrying weapons but their arrival is bound to fuel fears of a new global arms race.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, an outspoken opponent of U.S. policies, called the visit part of a move toward a 'pluri-polar world' - a reference to moving away from American dominance.

'The Yankee hegemony is finished,' he said in a televised speech.

The deployment marks the first time Russian bombers have landed in the western hemisphere since they were in Cuba at the height of the Cold War.

The Moscow defence ministry said they would carry out training flights over neutral waters in the next few days before returning to Russia.

Alexander Konovalov, head of the Moscow-based Institute for Strategic Assessment, called the move 'a demonstration of Russia's ability to do things nasty: you send warships to the Black Sea and we send bombers next to your door.'

Venezuelan said at the weekend that four Russian ships would participate in joint exercises with Venezuelan ships later this year.

Chavez has spent £2.2billion of his country's oil wealth on weapons, mostly Russian, since 2004.

An example of a Tu-160 strategic bomber which landed in Venezuela