A senior-ranking lawmaker in Russia’s decrease parliament protection committee mentioned the Kremlin has despatched new air protection programs to Venezuela because the latter comes underneath heightened navy strain from the US.
Whereas talking to Russian information outlet Gazeta, Alexei Zhuravlev, the primary deputy chairman of the State Duma Protection Committee, listed a number of weapons that Moscow beforehand provided to Caracas, together with Su-30MK2 fighters and S-300VMs.
He additionally talked about the current arrival of a system not publicly recognized to be in Venezuela’s arsenal: the Pantsir-S1.
“In line with the most recent info, Russian Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E programs had been only in the near past delivered to Caracas by Il-76 transport plane,” Zhuravlev informed Gazeta, which revealed his feedback on Saturday.
If true, his remarks point out additional rapprochement between Russia and Venezuela amid Caracas’ escalating tensions with the US. Whereas it is unclear the place the brand new air defenses had been sourced, such deliveries additionally stand to have an effect on Russia’s navy stock amid its ongoing struggle of attrition towards Ukraine.
Moreover, Zhuravlev hinted that Russia may very well be open to sending offensive weapons, reminiscent of ballistic missiles, to Venezuela.
Enterprise Insider couldn’t confirm the authenticity of the lawmaker’s feedback. FlightRadar data reveals that an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft landed in Caracas on October 26, earlier than flying to different Latin American nations recognized to be politically aligned with the Kremlin.
The plane was operated by Aviacon Zitotrans, a Russian cargo airline sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2023.
Washington mentioned the corporate is thought to move protection tools reminiscent of rockets, warheads, and helicopter elements, and listed Venezuela as considered one of Aviacon Zitotrans’ supply locations.
Flight knowledge reveals that the Il-76 returned to Caracas on October 29, the place it stayed for a couple of day earlier than flying to Havana.
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Nonetheless, it is unclear if the plane was carrying Pantsir S-1 programs and if this was the aircraft referred to by Zhuravlev.
Venezuela’s Russian air protection community
The Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system offers short- to medium-range air protection and is considerably extra fashionable than the Pechora-2Ms that Venezuela acquired from Russia over a decade in the past.
The newer-generation Pantsir-S1 is mostly extra cellular, options superior sensors, and is more practical at participating flying targets at decrease altitudes in comparison with the Pechora-2M, which was designed in the course of the Soviet period.
The Pantsir-S1 would assist complement the S-300VMs and Buk-M2s that Venezuela additionally bought from Russia years in the past.
The S-300VM can roughly cowl distances of as much as 120 miles and is often used to counter ballistic missiles and fighter plane, whereas the Buk-M2 covers about 30 miles and is extra fitted to participating plane, helicopters, and cruise missiles.
In distinction, the Pantsir-S1 has a spread of 12 to twenty miles and is usually used to offer level air protection, typically serving as safety for longer-range belongings such because the S-300VM.
Lawmaker floats concept of Oreshnik for Venezuela
In his interview with Gazeta, Zhuravlev mentioned that Russia wasn’t restricted from supplying fashionable offensive missiles to Venezuela.
“Details about the volumes and actual names of what is being imported from Russia is classed, so the People may very well be in for some surprises,” he informed the outlet.
The lawmaker didn’t say if any deliveries had been made, however added that he noticed no points with Russia sending the Oreshnik ballistic missile or Kalibr cruise missiles to Caracas.
“At the least, no worldwide obligations limit Russia from doing so,” he mentioned.
Venezuela’s authorities has been on edge because the US ramps up navy presence within the Caribbean and carries out airstrikes on boats that the Trump administration accused of trafficking medication.
Final month, the US Navy deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford, its largest and newest plane service, to the area alongside not less than 9 different warships.
As Washington’s posture grows extra aggressive, the US has charged Maduro with narcoterrorism, which he denies. President Donald Trump has repeatedly referenced the opportunity of attacking Venezuela immediately, however has additionally been issuing contradictory statements on his plans.
In an interview with CBS that aired on Sunday, Trump downplayed the opportunity of the US going to struggle with Venezuela.
“I doubt it. I do not assume so. However they have been treating us very badly,” he mentioned.
Press groups for the White Home, Pentagon, and State Division didn’t reply to requests for remark despatched exterior common enterprise hours. The Russian Protection Ministry additionally didn’t reply to the same request.
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