Venezuela Requested Military Assistance from Russia, China and Iran

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro has asked Russia, China and Iran for military assistance. In particular, he asked Russia for missiles, radars, and aircraft repairs amid a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean.

This was reported by The Washington Post.

According to the newspaper, the requests to Russia were made in the form of a letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was to be handed over during a visit to the Russian capital by a Venezuelan official.

In the letter, Maduro asked the Russians to help strengthen the country’s air defense, in particular, to restore several Russian Su-30MK2s previously purchased by Venezuela. Maduro also asked for help in overhauling eight engines and five radars in Russia. The Latin American dictator also requested the purchase of “14 sets” of Russian missiles, as well as unspecified “logistical support”.

Maduro emphasized that Russian-made Su-30 fighter jets “are the most important deterrent that the Venezuelan government has in the face of the threat of war.” At the same time, a former Venezuelan military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that as of 2018, there were fewer than five Su-30MK2s in service.

According to the documents obtained by the publication, Maduro also prepared a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping asking for “expanded military cooperation” between the two countries to counteract the “escalation between the United States and Venezuela.” In the letter, Maduro asked the Chinese government to speed up the production of radars by Chinese companies to strengthen Venezuela’s defense capabilities.

The documents also show that Transportation Minister Ramon Celestino Velasquez recently coordinated the delivery of military equipment and drones from Iran. He told an Iranian official that Venezuela needed “passive detection systems,” “GPS jammers,” and “almost certainly drones with a range of 1,000 kilometers.”

“In the message, Maduro emphasized the seriousness of the perceived US aggression in the Caribbean, framing US military action against Venezuela as action against China because of their shared ideology,” the documents say.

On October 26, an Il-76 aircraft – one of the Russian planes sanctioned by the US in 2023 for involvement in arms trafficking and mercenary transportation – arrived in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, after a long route through Africa to bypass Western airspace.

Only a day earlier, Russia had ratified a new strategic agreement with Venezuela. High-profile projects between the two countries continue. In particular, in July, a munitions plant was opened in Aragua state, about 20 years after the promise. Moscow also has rights to explore potentially multibillion-dollar reserves of untapped natural gas and oil.

However, bogged down in the war against Ukraine and seeking closer cooperation with other Latin American partners, Russia has gradually reduced its interest in Venezuela in recent years.

“The fact that we have moved more than 10% of our naval forces to the Caribbean is already a victory, to some extent, for Putin. Our renewed interest in everything to do with the Western Hemisphere is diffusing our attention away from Ukraine. And that’s good for Putin,” said James Story, former US ambassador to Venezuela.