Venezuelan Buk and S-300VM Systems Were Not Connected to Radars During the US Air Raid on Caracas

Venezuelan air defense systems manufactured in Russia were not connected to radar stations during the US air raid on Caracas.

The New York Times reported on this, citing US government officials.

Thus, some of the elements of the air defense systems purchased from Russia, in particular the Buk-M2E and S-300VM, were not put on combat duty even at the height of the US-Venezuelan confrontation and were kept in storage.

Militarnyi has already reported on the destruction of two launch and loading units, two launchers, and one command post from the Buk-M2E complex, which were located at a facility similar to a warehouse.

According to the publication’s sources, the launchers were not previously connected to radar stations, which effectively ensured the smooth running of the operation.

Former CIA station chief in Venezuela Richard de la Torre noted that the key reasons for the Venezuelan air defense system’s inability to function were years of corruption, logistical problems, and the effects of international sanctions.

At the same time, according to officials, Russia also bears some responsibility. It was Russian instructors and technical specialists who were supposed to ensure the full operability of the delivered systems and maintain them in proper technical condition.

De la Torre also cited the Russian-Ukrainian war as one of the factors behind the failure, noting that Russia no longer has sufficient resources to support its arms exports.

In addition, two former US officials cited by the NYT suggested that Moscow may have deliberately allowed military equipment sold to Venezuela to gradually fall into disrepair in order to avoid further escalation of relations with Washington.

In general, Venezuela systematically faces problems in servicing Russian weapons, often lacking both the necessary spare parts and sufficient technical expertise for their full operation.

According to Michael Kofman, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Chinese-made radar stations were on combat duty in Venezuela.

At the same time, according to an anonymous senior US military official, US aircraft destroyed these radars, further depriving Russian air defense systems of their ability to operate effectively and rendering them virtually helpless.