Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Wednesday said the first Russian warplanes Su-30 are arriving in Venezuelan "by the end of the year" and thanked Moscow for breaking the "blockade" the United States imposed on weapon sales to Venezuela.

In Izhevsk, Ural Mountains, during Chávez' second day in his three-day official visit to Russia, the Venezuelan ruler told reporters that on Thursday in Moscow, where is meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, he is initialing an agreement to purchase "the best airplane in the world."

While Chávez would not disclose the number of warplanes Venezuela is to buy from Russia, a few days ago Russian Defense minister Sergei Ivanov said Caracas is purchasing 30 Su-30 warplanes and a similar number of helicopters, in an operation exceeding USD 1 billion, Efe reported.

"Tomorrow (Thursday) in Moscow, we are going to initial an agreement for construction in Venezuela of a plant manufacturing Kalashnikov rifles and another plant to manufacture ammunition," Chávez said, as quoted by Russian news agency Interfax.

Chávez said the foundation stone for the Kalashnikov manufacturing plant would be laid in two weeks in Maracay, central Aragua state. Chávez estimated that this plant would be completed in some two years.

"I believe the State has a responsibility to equip and train the nation's military, and that is exactly what I am doing, nothing else."

He added that the plant would be another step towards Venezuela-Russia unity, "to defeat the empires."

He claimed that "the United States is trying to disarm Venezuela for subsequent invasion."

On Wednesday, Chávez also meet with Russian renowned gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov, who designed the Kalashnikov assault rifle, Efe reported.