▁used ▁by ▁the ▁naval ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁Captain cy ▁General ▁of ▁Venezuela , ▁and ▁participated ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁actions ▁in ▁the ▁campaign s ▁in ▁Gu ay ana ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 1 - 1 2 , ▁the ▁bapt ism ▁of ▁fire ▁for ▁the ▁fled g ling ▁naval ▁service . ▁Colonel ▁Antonio ▁M endo za ▁from ▁the ▁Venez uel an ▁Army ▁was ▁its ▁first ▁command ing ▁general . ▁ ▁For ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁their ▁vessels , ▁even ▁if ▁ob sole te , ▁were ▁maintained ▁properly ▁by ▁its ▁sail ors . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁the ▁Navy ▁acquired ▁from ▁Italy ▁two ▁gun bo ats ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁and ▁re ch rist ened ▁them ▁General ▁S ouble tte ▁and ▁General ▁U rd an eta ; ▁these ▁ships ▁where ▁retained ▁in ▁service ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁( for ▁other ▁sources ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁or ▁ 1 9 5 0 ) ▁and ▁scra pped ▁later . ▁ ▁J oint ▁exer cis es ▁ ▁In ▁September , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁Russian ▁Navy ' s ▁nuclear - power ed ▁miss ile ▁cru iser ▁Py otr ▁Vel iki y , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁three ▁other ▁ships ▁of ▁Russia ' s ▁Northern ▁Fle et , ▁sa iled ▁from ▁its ▁base ▁in ▁Sever om or sk ▁on ▁a ▁cru ise ▁to ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁Sea ▁for ▁a ▁joint ▁exercise ▁with ▁the ▁Venez uel an ▁Navy . ▁This ▁action ▁represented ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁Russian ▁power ▁projection ▁in ▁that ▁region ▁since ▁the ▁end