US leaker Snowden 'flying to Caracas via Moscow'

Former US intelligence operative Edward Snowden is reportedly being accompanied by WikiLeaks legal advisors on his flight from Hong Kong, which had refused to act on a US arrest warrant for the former contractor.

MOSCOW // Former US intelligence operative Edward Snowden will head to Caracas via Havana after he arrives in Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, quoting sources at Aeroflot airline.

"A passenger under that name will arrive in Moscow from Hong Kong today on flight SU213, and tomorrow, on June 24, he will fly to Havana on flight SU150," the state news agency ITAR-Tass quoted a source at the airline as saying.

"Also tomorrow, he will go to Caracas from Havana on a local flight."

In a post on its Twitter feed, WikiLeaks said Snowden was "accompanied by WikiLeaks legal advisors" on his flight from Hong Kong, which had refused to act on a US arrest warrant for the former contractor.

A source working for Aeroflot was quoted by Russian media as saying Snowden was flying together with Sarah Harrison – a WikiLeaks employee.

Police at the airport where Snowden was expected to land told the Interfax news agency they did not plan to detain the former US operative.

"We have not received any instructions regarding this person, however he would need a valid visa to get onto the territory of Russia," a police representative was quoted as saying.

The Russian foreign ministry said it was monitoring the situation.