Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has confirmed his plans to buy Russian air defense missiles, local media reported on Friday.

According to the reports, the move is part of a long-standing weapons upgrade program to guard strategic sites in the country such as oil refineries and hydroelectric dams.

"We are going to buy missiles, Russian (ones), the most modern, to defend us, defend oil installations and other strategic installations," Chavez said Thursday.

He also praised the high performance of Russian missiles, noting that "these bugs don't miss their targets, from several hundred kilometers away."

Media reports said Russia has signed military deals worth an estimated 3 billion U.S. dollars with Venezuela.

In 2006, Venezuela bought from Russia 24 Sukhoi 30 fighter jets, 53 MI-24 military helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Source: Xinhua