Russian Ministry of Defence / EPA
Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system
The Venezuelan regime had high-powered air defense systems from its allies in the Kremlin, but much of the equipment was not even assembled.
The famous Russian-made air defense systems S-300 e Buk-M2 They were supposed to be a powerful symbol of the close ties between Venezuela and Russia, two rivals of the US — and this alliance seemed to give Russia a growing presence in the Western Hemisphere.
However, in the surprise attack that the US conducted in Caracas, which led to the arrest and deposition of Nicolas Madurothe air defense systems that were supposed to protect the dictator failed dismally — just like those who had the same mission.
According to Venezuela’s advanced Russian-made air defense systems They weren’t even connected to the radar when US helicopters sprang into action to capture President Maduro, leaving Venezuelan airspace surprisingly unprotected long before the Pentagon launched its attack.
Venezuela announced in 2009, with great fanfare, the purchase of air defense systems from Russia, in a context of tensions with Washington. The then Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavezhailed the weapons as a deterrent against American aggression.
But Venezuela has since been unable to maintain and operate the S-300one of the most advanced anti-aircraft systems in the world, as well as the Buk defense systems, leaving your airspace vulnerable when the Pentagon launched to capture Maduro.
Furthermore, a NYT analysis of photographs, videos and satellite images concluded that some air defense components were still stored rather than operationalat the time of the attack.
Taken together, the evidence suggests that, despite months of warningsa Venezuela I wasn’t prepared for the US invasion, in a clear sign of the incompetence of the Venezuelan armed forces, which appears to have played an important role in the success of the US attack.
Venezuela’s much vaunted anti-aircraft systems were essentially turned off when US forces entered the skies over the Venezuelan capital, and may not have been working for yearsformer US officials and military analysts told the NYT.
“After years of corruption, poor logistics and sanctionsall these factors will certainly have degraded the state of readiness of Venezuela’s air defense systems”, he says Richard de la Torreformer head of the CIA in Venezuela, who now runs a Washington-based lobbying firm.
Russia shares responsibility for this failurebecause Russian instructors and technicians would have to ensure that the system was fully operational and help keep it that way.
“The Demands of Russia’s War in Ukraine may have limited their ability to maintain these systems in Venezuela, to ensure that they were fully integrated,” says De la Torre.
In fact, two former US officials argued that Russia may have discreetly allowed that the military equipment it sold to Venezuela fell into disrepair, to avoid further conflict com Washington.
If the Venezuelan armed forces had shot down a US aircraft, they said, the repercussions for Russia could have been significant.
When Chávez purchased the air defense systems from Russia, they were part of an investment package worth billions of dollarswhich should serve to remodel Venezuela’s armed forces, filling its arsenal with Su-30 fighters, T-72 tanks and thousands of portable surface-to-air missile systems known as Manpads.
Until then, Venezuela had largely depended on US military equipment, but as hostilities grew, Washington banned arms sales to the South American country in 2006.
“With these rockets it will be very difficult for foreign planes come and bomb us,” said Chávez in 2009, after announcing the agreement to buy Russian air defense systems.
But Venezuela had difficulty ensuring the readiness of Russian equipment, often being left without spare parts and without the knowledge technicians to maintain the equipment or operate it.
The dismissal of Maduro and the new, albeit uncomfortable, partnership between the Venezuelan government and the United States is a blow to Russian influence in the region.
Over the past 15 years, Moscow had progressively rebuilt its presence in Latin America after the collapse of the Soviet Unionincreasing its arms sales to the region and forging new alliances, especially with Venezuela. But this alliance may not have been so solid as Russia and Venezuela portrayed it.
Second Fiona Hillwho headed the office of Russian and European affairs at the National Security Council during Donald Trump’s first term, Moscow had signaled to Washington that it would give the Americans unrestricted influence in Venezuela in exchange for free hands in Ukraine,
At a press conference in November, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrovit was asked whether Moscow would send more weapons to Venezuela to strengthen its defenses. Lavrov made it clear that Venezuela, so far from Russian soilwas not a central issue for Russia.
In May, Russia and Venezuela signed a strategic partnership agreement, during Maduro’s visit to Moscow, which includes defense cooperation — but which does not commit either country to mutual defense.
“I think the Russian prestige is greatly tarnished by this crisis“, considers Brian Naranjoformer deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Caracas between 2014 and 2018. “They didn’t show up when Venezuela needed them. They turned out to be a Paper Tiger“.
Shortly after Maduro’s capture, the US State Department posted a photograph of a serious-looking President Donald Trump on social media, with the caption “this is our hemisphere“.
“On many levels, what the Russians were trying to do it was just irritating us just because they are in Venezuela. Russia wants to show that it still has strategic reach across the world. But Putin’s ability to come into our backyard and bother us doesn’t get to the point of actually confronting us“, concludes the former diplomat.
