MOSCOW (AFP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is to visit Russia July 25 to 27, Venezuela's ambassador to Moscow said Monday, announcing a visit that could include deals on military and civilian jet sales.

"The visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is planned for July 25-27," Ambassador Alexis Rafael Navarro Rojas told AFP by telephone.

A contract for the sale to Venezuela of 24 fighter jets made by Russia's Sukhoi jet-maker could be signed during the visit, Interfax news agency quoted Navarro as saying.

"After seeing these planes, our military fell in love with them," Navarro said.

"If the conditions are good, and it seems they will be, then we'll also buy the Yak-130 combat trainer jets and for commercial purposes the Il-96 that was bought by Cuban leader Fidel Castro," Navarro continued.

Chavez said on June 11 that his upcoming visit to Russia could see a deal on building a Kalashnikov assault rifle factory in Venezuela.

Venezuela announced this month it had received 30,000 such rifles from Russia, the first shipment of an order of 100,000 that was agreed in a 54-million-dollar deal with Moscow last year.

Venezuela has also agreed to buy 15 Russian helicopters for 200 million dollars.

Venezuela is upset that it cannot get parts to upgrade its U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets. In May President Hugo Chavez said that Venezuela would buy Russian jets, and that it might sell its F-16s if it cannot get replacement parts.