NYT: Russian air defense systems in Venezuela were not functioning during the US attack

Venezuelan airspace was completely unprotected from US military attacks. The fact is that Russian systems Defense in Venezuela were not operational and were not even connected to radar.

This is what journalists from The New York Times claim, citing officials and experts.

The S-300 and Buk missile systems purchased from Russia were not in combat-ready condition. Media reports suggest this may have been the case for years. After analyzing images from the strike sites, journalists concluded that some of the SAM system components were not used but simply stored in warehouses.

They note that, although numerous threats against Caracas were made long before the US attack, even this tense situation failed to compel the Venezuelan military to prepare for a potential invasion. The NYT suggests that the problem lies in their incompetence, as well as the high level of corruption in the country.

Furthermore, the Venezuelan military relied excessively on Russian instructors, many of whom left South America after the start of the Second World War and returned to Russia to participate in combat operations. It appears that the air defense systems could only be kept operational under Russian supervision.

That's why American helicopters were able to reach Caracas, deploy special forces, and kidnap the country's president, Nicolás Maduro. In fact, the failure to defend Venezuela from the air wasn't due to "poor" technology, but to the incompetence of local "specialists."

Comments

[RuAbel]

Sergey Kuzmintsev – Captain Obvious!

[alex-defensor]

NYT: Russian air defense systems in Venezuela were not functioning during the US attack

Well, we already know, because "money conquers all"

[Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov]

❝ Well, we already know, because "money conquers all" ❞ —

[Sergey Kondratyev]

It appears someone disabled the air defense system, and it was only operational in reports to Maduro. The most interesting thing is that, even knowing the air defense system was inoperative, the Americans still attacked the air defense crews and killed Venezuelan soldiers with whom they had already made a deal. While the American government talks about some super-duper weapon used in Venezuela, everything points to outright betrayal on the part of Venezuela's military and politicians.

[Normann]

As usual, money talks.

[Lisa Kerner-Timoshenko]

EVERYTHING is as always under CAPITALISM!
And in Moscow there are big fans of capitalism!!!!

[x.andvlad]

It looks like someone turned off the air defense and it...
It seems he didn't shut them down, but simply didn't even activate them (if some of them were in storage). And the president, apparently, was completely oblivious, resting peacefully in his residence while the threat loomed over the state. Miracles, indeed...

[topol717]

Quote: x.andvlad

It looks like he didn’t turn them off, but simply didn’t even put them into combat mode (if some of them were in the warehouse).

This is actually a common practice across South America. People there don't like to exert themselves too much. They live their entire lives relaxing. They'd rather lie under a palm tree with a cool bottle of wine than maintain some Buk M2.

[th.kuzmichev]

This is most likely true; banal illiteracy and incompetence cannot be replaced by the ruler’s beautiful speeches.

[SAG]

While the American government talks about some super-duper weapon used in Venezuela, everything points to a banal betrayal

The superweapon that the West has been masterfully using behind the scenes for over a thousand years is fear, envy, greed, lust, hatred, and lies—all the knowledge Satan imparted to them in exchange for their souls.

[ZhEK-Vodogrey]

There is currently a debate online about why all our foreign policy bets are placed on such unstable regimes as Assad, Maduro, Yanukovych, and the Ayatollahs (although the situation with the latter is still unclear).

There was an expectation that Yanukovych would hold the situation together, and even give them money. Then there was an expectation that the godfather would sort it out. And even earlier, I remember, there was an expectation that while Chernomyrdin was playing the accordion in his residence near Kyiv, drinking vodka, the Khinzirs would remain in power. And just imagine, how could this have happened? And now all these expectations are being paid for with the blood of a Russian soldier.

[Vladimir M]

To be fair, we "persuaded" Yanukovych not to use force to disperse the rabble on the Maidan. This was stated by the man himself, the one who was "deceived."
I think Yanukovych himself wasn't particularly eager to disperse the rabble; after all, he kept his money in the West.

[topol717]

Quote: Vladimir M

To be fair, we "persuaded" Yanukovych not to use force to disperse the rabble on the Maidan.

That never happened. It was the EU, not us, who asked for the Maidan to be dispersed. Although, if there was a plan to seize Crimea and Donbas after he was overthrown, I admit it. But I think that would be an overly complex operation.

[Comrade Kim]

Yanukovych is also good, not all advice is mandatory to follow.
If I had beaten up the Maidanites, I would now be living peacefully, as before, with the rank of president, and not hanging around the corners of Rublyovka, with the status of a retired granny.

[rotfuks]

To be fair, we "persuaded" Yanukovych not to use force to disperse the rabble on the Maidan.

I don't know who you mean by "WE," but I remember Merkel calling Yanukovych several times, trying to persuade him to avoid sending troops into Kyiv to avoid bloodshed. Are you, by any chance, Merkel undercover?

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Vladimir M

To be fair, we "persuaded" Yanukovych not to use force to disperse the rabble on the Maidan.

Nope. "Proffesor" then placed his bet on Europe, which demanded that he negotiate with the Banderites. The result was the authorities' renunciation of the use of force and the signing of the "Agreement on the Resolution of the Crisis in Ukraine":

5. The authorities will not introduce a state of emergency. The authorities and the opposition will refrain from using forceful measures.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will adopt a third law on exemption from liability, which will apply to the same offenses as the law of February 17, 2014.
Both sides will make serious efforts to normalize life in cities and villages by vacating administrative and public buildings and unblocking streets, squares, and public spaces.
Illegal weapons must be surrendered to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine within 24 hours from the moment the above-mentioned special law comes into force (clause 1 of this Agreement).
After the specified period, all cases of illegal carrying and possession of weapons will be covered by current Ukrainian legislation. Opposition and government forces will abandon their confrontational stances. The government will use law enforcement exclusively for the physical protection of government buildings.

The agreement was signed by Yanukovych, Klitschko, Yatsenyuk, and Tyahnybok, as well as EU members Steinmeier, Sikorski, and Fournier.
Everyone remembers what happened next. The agreement didn't last even 24 hours, the opposition occupied the government quarter, and the EU limited itself to calls for "let's live in peace."

[Montezuma]

Quote: ZhEK-Vodogrey

There is currently a debate online about why all our foreign policy bets are placed on such unstable regimes as Assad, Maduro, Yanukovych, and the Ayatollahs (although the situation with the latter is still unclear).

Actually, not all of them—the DPRK has a fairly stable "regime," and Russia has fairly stable relations with China. Could you suggest another country with a "stable regime" that Russia could rely on for its foreign policy?

[topol717]

Kazakhstan and all the Central Asian countries that were formerly part of the USSR, Brazil, Hungary, Türkiye, the UAE. There are many countries with which we have good relations.

[hector]

Quote from: topol717

Kazakhstan and all the Central Asian countries that were previously part of the USSR,

Heh heh

Hungary, Türkiye

Where are good relations? Türkiye regularly plays dirty tricks and openly holds a grudge against Crimea. Hungary has only been resisting sanctions relatively recently, since they started ricocheting back.

[tatarin1972]

The Foreign Ministry's analytics are screwed, we're still hoping for a Russian "maybe," but "maybe" hasn't happened for twenty years, so we're losing money first, and now the lives of our soldiers.

[Rome]

The problem isn't with analytics, it's a simple rule: if you want something to turn out well, do it yourself!
Madura's security was supposed to be provided by the GRU, and our commanders were supposed to command the army and air defense. And everything was integrated with our intelligence and early warning systems. Then the donkey with the gold wouldn't have worked, the surprise attack wouldn't have happened, and most likely there wouldn't have been an attack at all!

[Alexey RA]

Quote: Eroma

Madura's security was supposed to be from the GRU, and our commanders were supposed to command the army and air defense.

What's the point of command if the people directly implementing it don't care? It'll be like during the Maidan, when Yanukovych orders the army to advance on Kyiv, but the soldiers drive there at walking pace, never reaching Kyiv. Or like in Syria.
And yes, beyond the command, Latin American countries also have extremely politically active mid-level officers. Hugo Chávez, for example, organized his first rebellion while still a lieutenant colonel in 1992.
Generally,

We are not going to be more Syrian than the Syrians themselves, why do we need that?

[nik-mazur]

Quote: ZhEK-Vodogrey

The internet is debating why all our foreign policy bets are placed on such unstable regimes

The inverse relationship is not considered on the internet: that our geopolitical opponents are making efforts to make regimes unstable precisely because we have established relations with them?

[Lisa Kerner-Timoshenko]

And now all these expectations are paid for with the blood of a Russian soldier....
It's all on the conscience of the GDP...if Yeltsin's fan has any conscience at all!

[Leontrotsky]

But the Venezuelan army had about 5000 MANPADS. What happened to them? And not a single attempt was made to use them. It's as if they'd been given orders not to use the air defenses under any circumstances.

[Reklastik]

I propose selling these "armies" mockups at the price of the real thing: the investment is low, they look like the real thing, and the profit is reasonable. And yet, they're still not used. And we have nothing to lose, and even gain.

[topol717]

They say there was a video somewhere of someone trying and even firing one shot. But he managed to miss. I haven't seen the video myself, I've only heard about it.

[Leontrotsky]

Somewhere...sometime...someone did it, or maybe they didn't... If the US had used electronic warfare and it had been effective, the picture would have been something like this: when attempting to use MANPADS, the missiles would have veered off target. Many experts are right—helicopters aren't just easy targets for MANPADS, they're also easy targets. But for that to happen, they have to be used.

[topol717]

Quote: Leontrotsky

If the US had used electronic warfare and it had been effective, the picture would have been something like this: when attempting to use MANPADS, the missiles would have veered away from the target.

What are you even talking about? What kind of electronic warfare system is this, and what effect does it have on MANPADS? All MANPADS have an infrared homing head, and they don't care about any electronic warfare systems.

[Leontrotsky]

What I'm getting at is that the electronic warfare that the Americans are trumpeting about and which, according to them, was the main reason for the air defense's inaction, is irrelevant.

[Obliterator]

Quote from: topol717

What are you even talking about? What kind of electronic warfare system is this, and what effect does it have on MANPADS? All MANPADS have an infrared homing head, and they don't care about any electronic warfare systems.

And we don't care about illumination. AN/ALQ-144; AN/AAQ-24 Nemesis and other Directional Infrared Counter Measures send their regards. Nata has long studied the Igla-S for these gadgets.

[Obliterator]

Quote: Leontrotsky

But the Venezuelan army had about 5000 MANPADS. What happened to them? And not a single attempt was made to use them. It's as if they'd been given orders not to use the air defenses under any circumstances.

Quote: Leontrotsky

But the Venezuelan army had about 5000 MANPADS. What happened to them? And not a single attempt was made to use them. It's as if they'd been given orders not to use the air defenses under any circumstances.

They actually tried to use it, but missed. But the helicopters there are well-equipped with defense systems, so the Igla-S has nothing to gain.

[Leontrotsky]

Please provide a link to the source that says MANPADS were used. I personally haven't heard this from any source. Any helicopter is heavily armored. But there's no helicopter that can't be shot down by MANPADS.

[Obliterator]

Here's a video for you. They hit one helicopter with a MANPADS, but it remained airborne, and the crew was injured. It would be a stroke of luck to hit such a powerful monster as the MH-60L DAP with its directional infrared countermeasure system with a MANPADS. We only have such systems on the Su-57.

[Leontrotsky]

Are you serious about this video? I'll give you dozens of similar ones. First of all,
Are you citing some blogger as a source? Where did he get this video?
You can find a lot of things on the internet, including Maduro calmly drinking coffee on his terrace.
If the video was posted by the Ministry, I almost wrote "Defense"))) The US Department of War is one thing.
Just like our Ministry of Defense, back when they were taking Gostomel, the Ministry of Defense posted footage taken from a Ka-52.
This is a credible source. Let's move on. According to Maduro, 5000 MANPADS were delivered to Venezuela.
In total, the Venezuelan army has approximately 130,000 soldiers. This means that practically every sixth soldier should have a MANPADS.
And in that case, the helicopters should have been met not with a single shot, but with much more. Well,
If they had really decided to resist. But then a single shot from a MANPADS... was worth the hit.
"Monster" MH-60L DAP? It's worth asking: is it a monster, then? Or is it just another wunderwaffe?
Like the Abrams or the F-16 before it? Which prefer not to engage in direct combat with either the T-90 or the Su-35.
Trump seemed to have said that during the capture of Maduro, not a single piece of equipment was damaged and not a single soldier was killed.
An employee? You decide for yourself. But in Gostomel, Russian military personnel actually carried out an operation.
without losses. In the face of real enemy resistance.
"It's hard to defeat a monster as packed as the MH-60L DAP with its directional infrared countermeasure system.
With MANPADS, you'd have to be very lucky. We only have such systems on the Su-57." - I won't even talk about that nonsense.
Have you heard of the L-370? They even wrote about it on this website.
https://topwar.ru/193590-bortovoj-kompleks-oborony-l-370-vitebsk-v-boju.html?ysclid=mkeh4jzcgt941167290
So the tales about the means of countering infrared homing heads of MANPADS
They are only installed on the SU-57, tell others.
And there really are differences between the Vitebsk and the same KA-52 from the MH-60L DAP.
Well, at least in the fact that both the KA-52 and the L-370 were tested in real combat operations,
in Syria and are now being tested for the fourth year. And judging by the footage provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense
quite successfully. This, my dear, is not to participate in doll deliveries, as it was in
Venezuela.
As for your blocker's question—why has Russia been at war for four years now—the answer is simple.
Because Russia is fighting NATO, not Venezuela, with all due respect. Remove from NATO what they give to Ukraine.
1-Reconnaissance system
2-The Central Control System
3-A communication system...and only without this will NATO turn into a First World War army.
And we haven’t even mentioned weapons, air defense systems, or ammunition yet,
neither about the advisers, nor about the Becks... much more.

[Obliterator]

Quote: Leontrotsky

Are you serious about this video? I'll give you dozens of similar ones. First of all,
Are you citing some blogger as a source? Where did he get this video?
You can find a lot of things on the internet, including Maduro calmly drinking coffee on his terrace.
If the video was posted by the Ministry, I almost wrote "Defense"))) The US Department of War is one thing.
Just like our Ministry of Defense, back when they were taking Gostomel, the Ministry of Defense posted footage taken from a Ka-52.
This is a credible source. Let's move on. According to Maduro, 5000 MANPADS were delivered to Venezuela.
In total, the Venezuelan army has approximately 130,000 soldiers. This means that practically every sixth soldier should have a MANPADS.
And in that case, the helicopters should have been met not with a single shot, but with much more. Well,
If they had really decided to resist. But then a single shot from a MANPADS... was worth the hit.
"Monster" MH-60L DAP? It's worth asking: is it a monster, then? Or is it just another wunderwaffe?
Like the Abrams or the F-16 before it? Which prefer not to engage in direct combat with either the T-90 or the Su-35.
Trump seemed to have said that during the capture of Maduro, not a single piece of equipment was damaged and not a single soldier was killed.
An employee? You decide for yourself. But in Gostomel, Russian military personnel actually carried out an operation.
without losses. In the face of real enemy resistance.
"It's hard to defeat a monster as packed as the MH-60L DAP with its directional infrared countermeasure system.
With MANPADS, you'd have to be very lucky. We only have such systems on the Su-57." - I won't even talk about that nonsense.
Have you heard of the L-370? They even wrote about it on this website.
https://topwar.ru/193590-bortovoj-kompleks-oborony-l-370-vitebsk-v-boju.html?ysclid=mkeh4jzcgt941167290
So the tales about the means of countering infrared homing heads of MANPADS
They are only installed on the SU-57, tell others.
And there really are differences between the Vitebsk and the same KA-52 from the MH-60L DAP.
Well, at least in the fact that both the KA-52 and the L-370 were tested in real combat operations,
in Syria and are now being tested for the fourth year. And judging by the footage provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense
quite successfully. This, my dear, is not to participate in doll deliveries, as it was in
Venezuela.
As for your blocker's question—why has Russia been at war for four years now—the answer is simple.
Because Russia is fighting NATO, not Venezuela, with all due respect. Remove from NATO what they give to Ukraine.
1-Reconnaissance system
2-The Central Control System
3-A communication system...and only without this will NATO turn into a First World War army.
And we haven’t even mentioned weapons, air defense systems, or ammunition yet,
neither about the advisers, nor about the Becks... much more.

You're just pathetic. Give you a hundred videos, and you'll still just crow.

[Leontrotsky]

So, what videos did you provide? Could you tell me their source? What website and where did they come from? I'll repeat: if they were posted by an official source—the US Department of War—I'll completely believe them. Because an official source wouldn't post disinformation. Then you'd be faced with accusations of fake news, and that would risk damaging your reputation. But you're providing links to an unknown source, with videos made in an unclear location and time, and you expect people to believe you.

[Prisoner]

History with Armenians is repeating itself.

[Michael]

Russian air defense systems in Venezuela were not functioning during the US attack.

Now we've gone from non-firing MANPADS to useless S-300s and BUKs.
By the way, take this as an example.

[Leontrotsky]

Why should we take the Patriots as an example?))) The question isn't that the MANPADS weren't fired, but why there wasn't a single attempt to fire them.)))

[nordscout]

Leontrotsky, your question is "to nowhere"... But, even there, you will be rejected...

[Ban Zai]

You are completely ignorant, there were attempts, they even wrote about it on this resource, be careful)))

[Leontrotsky]

This is the first time I've heard such information from you. If it's not too much trouble, could you provide a link to a source confirming your information?

[x.andvlad]

Here we were very surprised by the competence of the Syrians... And here it’s even worse...
An interesting question: did we sell these air defense systems to the Venezuelans with cash or with loans? If the latter, then it's highly likely that our money was wasted due to the change in government and the fact that some of these air defense systems have already been destroyed. We're in a pretty good spot with such an "ally."

[Michael]

Quote: x.andvlad

An interesting question: did we supply these air defense systems to the Venezuelans with cash or with loans?

For nothing.
Neo-Trotskyism flourished under Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev and continues to be present in dynasties to this day.

[private person]

"our money was wasted"

The money is not ours, but belongs to those who put it there, and they most likely got their profit.

[Michael]

Quote: private person

The money is not ours, but belongs to those who put it there, and they most likely got their profit.

And this is Khrushchev's very own neo-Trotskyism. In the development and dynasty of Foreign Ministry employees and others involved.

[al3x]

Or maybe all these air defense systems and man-portable air defense systems are already sailing to the XXX.

[Fan-fan]

"our money was wasted"

And this is not the first time our money has cried. It's been a continuous cry for a long time now.

[nordscout]

x.andvlad, what's the difference... There's obvious betrayal, and a well-organized, materially and technically prepared military operation, carried out in a neighboring region in 30 minutes... And as for "stuck" - it's not now and not in Venezuela... "Stuck" and "big" on December 26, 1991, when the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Declaration on the Termination of the Soviet Union as a State and Subject of International Law... And Venezuela is only the beginning (who and what is next) and the tragic result of the functioning of the governance system in capitalist Russia and the actual attitude towards it (Russia), in the world...

[Montezuma]

It is interesting to observe the evolution of statements from American sources regarding Venezuela's air defense:

WASHINGTON, January 3. /TASS/. During an operation in Venezuela, the US military attacked its air defense systems to allow special forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This was announced by General Dan Kaine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
"As the detachment began to approach Caracas, the combined air forces began to destroy and disable Venezuela's air defense systems."

Now, as the NYT claims, Russian air defense systems in Venezuela were not functioning during the US attack.
One thing is clear: Venezuela's air defenses did nothing to prevent the American air attack, something Pentagon chief Pete Hagseth was well aware of, which didn't stop him from making a sarcastic remark about Russia after Maduro's kidnapping:

"Three nights ago, almost 200 of our greatest Americans went to the center of Caracas, Venezuela. Looks like the Russian air defenses weren't working so well, huh?"

Sometimes it's better to chew than to talk. (c)

[hashmaster]

Iran's air defenses weren't activated in the summer either :)? Well, except for the AI ​​images of downed overgrown F-35s. The Americans probably just used Growlers, with their radars offline. They're stupid, as they say.

[Comet_1]

Quote: Hashmaster

Iran's air defenses weren't activated in the summer either :)? Well, except for the AI ​​images of downed overgrown F-35s. The Americans probably just used Growlers, with their radars offline. They're stupid, as they say.

The Americans informed the Iranians about the raid before it began. Everyone knew...

[rocket757]

It was not a bobbin ...
And now the question... and the answer. This is their internal workings, let them figure it out for themselves now.

[Saxahorse]

Quote: rocket757

And now the question... and the answer. This is their internal workings, let them figure it out for themselves now.

And it turns out our military advisers in Venezuela were commanded by the same general who recently dumped Assad in Syria. But that's their business; let them handle it themselves now.

[rocket757]

Our general cannot be more Syrian, Venezuelan than they themselves...
And again we remind, we state... IT WAS NOT ABOUT THE REEL, SINCE ZZ GILDYAY WAS SITTING IN THE CABIN.

[Saxahorse]

Quote: rocket757

IT WAS NOT THE POINT OF THE REEL, SINCE ZZ GILDYAY WAS SITTING IN THE CABIN.

Of course. It's pure coincidence that the air defense system was dismantled for spare parts just at the time of the attack, and our advisors were just there to sunbathe on the beach.

[Fan-fan]

How simple, easy, and convenient it is to explain the failure of our air defenses through bribery, betrayal, and treason. So why then did the Americans bomb our air defense systems?

During an operation in Venezuela, the US military attacked its air defense systems,

Maybe it was all betrayal, but the fact that the Americans suppressed the air defense with electronic warfare and bombed is certain.

[Neo-9947]

I apologize, of course, but the security guards are obliged to shoot down a helicopter landing on the lawn of the presidential palace (!) not with an S-400, but with a PM-A, model 1954 (which is not choked by electronic warfare, because it does not know what electronic warfare is).
And it will be of some use.
......
If they see you, they will turn away.
If they are forced to shoot, they will miss.
If they are sent to chase you, they will stumble and fall.

[Sergey Aleksandrovich]

The helicopters are armored; there have been cases where our Mi-8s have withstood up to a hundred hits from rifle and machine gun rounds.
Still, at least a 12,7mm heavy machine gun on an anti-aircraft mount is needed. And at point-blank range, a PK or PKT (7,62mm) will suffice.

[isv000]

Quote: Fan-Fan

How simple, easy, and convenient it is to explain the failure of our air defenses through bribery, betrayal, and treason. So why then did the Americans bomb our air defense systems?

It's like with Ovechkin – even if he scores every game, he can't carry the game on his own. Same here...

[Comet_1]

Quote: Fan-Fan

How simple, easy and convenient to explain the failure of our air defense

Something that was never turned on at all cannot fail.

[nik-mazur]

Quote: Fan-Fan

The fact that the Americans suppressed the air defense with electronic warfare and bombed is certain

How do you know?

[nordscout]

The most powerful means of suppressing air defense and missile defense in the world is a "donkey loaded with gold" (Philip II of Macedonia)... It (the DONKEY) "completely" blinds and immobilizes any air defense and missile defense, which was demonstrated to the entire world by Donald Fredovich during the SVO in Venezuela

[isv000]

In the shelf life of the components, you could teach a hare to smoke, a bear to ride a bicycle, and, finally, teach an Indian to handle a Soviet anti-aircraft missile system tolerably well. But! It's impossible to teach a sensible officer not to hoard all sorts of green stuff! They had in mind dying a heroic death for Venezuela. Only the Cubans—to them, honor and glory—and a handful of real local soldiers snapped back; the rest hastily swapped their stashes of Baku papers and prepared for new instructions from their new masters...

[ideo098]

Were all the MANPADS also in storage, and no one except Russian instructors knew how to use them? Unlikely.

[matsur]

Quote: Sergey Kondratiev

It appears someone disabled the air defense system, and it was only operational in reports to Maduro. The most interesting thing is that, even knowing the air defense system was inoperative, the Americans still attacked the air defense crews and killed Venezuelan soldiers with whom they had already made a deal. While the American government talks about some super-duper weapon used in Venezuela, everything points to outright betrayal on the part of Venezuela's military and politicians.

We made an agreement with the generals, not with some privates.

[matsur]

I've basically concluded that Venezuela is a country of slackers. A country whose population is incapable of managing what it has. Their military has shown how they feel about defending their homeland. So they don't need oil. They'll give you a pittance for carnival, and then you can take a siesta every day on schedule!
I'd give the Venezuelan military some kind of Golden Raspberry Award for worst film. I'd call them, for example, "clumsy slobs."

[nik-mazur]

Quote from Matsur

Venezuela is a country of slobs

All of Latin America is like this. There, order more or less begins at Brazil's latitude.

[Moneron]

You can come up with hundreds of excuses for the Russian Foreign Ministry and advisors' helplessness in Venezuela... but the situation won't change... they've screwed up the country and with it all of South America... like the domino effect. This is where a revved-up Wagner wing would come in handy. Russian military advisors, luxuriating on the warm shores of the southern oceans, exiled to fertile lands abroad for past "victories," view their exile as a gift from fate. And fulfilling their duties is secondary... there's no one to oversee them... worthless people who have ruined Russia's geopolitics. Meanwhile, Wagner was self-sufficient in Africa... and kept the situation firmly under control.

[Carlos Hall]

Support Iran and Cuba. Don't waste money supporting Venezuela, because that country is worthless.

[Carlos Hall]

Perhaps, but those are the ones who have it. Perhaps you prefer the Serbian president, who plays both sides.

[matsur]

Quote from moneron

You can come up with hundreds of excuses for the Russian Foreign Ministry and advisors' helplessness in Venezuela... but the situation won't change... they've screwed up the country and with it all of South America... like the domino effect. This is where a revved-up Wagner wing would come in handy. Russian military advisors, luxuriating on the warm shores of the southern oceans, exiled to fertile lands abroad for past "victories," view their exile as a gift from fate. And fulfilling their duties is secondary... there's no one to oversee them... worthless people who have ruined Russia's geopolitics. Meanwhile, Wagner was self-sufficient in Africa... and kept the situation firmly under control.

The hegemon has chosen his friends. And the one who could have continued leading Wagner won't say anything anymore. I'm worried about the future of the army. All hope lies with the current, non-military minister. And I'm worried about the lack of high-profile corruption cases, because I'm sure there are plenty of people to put behind bars. In some ways, we're just like Venezuelans—remember how they clothed, shod, and armed those mobilized in 2022!

[rotfuks]

I'm worried about the future of the army. All hope lies with the current, non-military minister. And I'm worried about the lack of high-profile corruption cases, because I'm sure there are plenty of people to put behind bars.

If the lack of high-profile corruption cases scares you, it suggests you're not in Russia and don't watch the news on TV. And you've probably been banned from search engines. I'll give you a couple of links about high-profile corruption scandals so you don't feel like you're Venezuelan.
https://lenta.ru/articles/2024/05/04/army/

https://www.kommersant.ru/theme/3604

[ex_paragon]

Well, not Vietnamese, though...

[aszzz888]

Perhaps this helped avoid thousands of civilian casualties in the event of carpet bombing by the Merikatos. They don't care who or how many people die. That's one thing. But what's the point of air defense then?

[rotfuks]

Anyone watching the news footage from Karakos before the American attack would have seen a ZU-23-2 on the roof of every government building. The ZU-23-2 couldn't be disabled by a command from headquarters or jammed by an electronic countermeasure system. It only took a motivated soldier to use a ZU-23-2 to make mincemeat of an American helicopter carrying paratroopers. But apparently, there weren't any motivated soldiers.

[Or me]

There was no one to give the order to?

rotfuks
(Ivanov Ivan)
0
Today, 01: 58
...All it took was a motivated fighter to use a ZU-23-2 to make mincemeat out of an American helicopter carrying paratroopers. But apparently, there were no motivated fighters.

[Konnick]

Quote: rotfuks

It only took a motivated fighter to make mincemeat out of an American helicopter with paratroopers using a ZU-23-2.

Even a loyal dog can betray if it's well-fed... A motivated fighter, he's not a dog—he's willing to risk his life for his master. Many security guards have been known to sacrifice themselves for their boss. It might work against a lone killer, but against a serious force, self-preservation will kick in. A preventative security system is important, not one that's already under attack.

[Sergey Aleksandrovich]

Once again, you're getting something mixed up. Guards aren't sitting behind the ZU-23-2; soldiers are. And if fire isn't opened at the right moment, the anti-aircraft gun crew, along with their superior officer, will be court-martialed, with the almost guaranteed execution.

[snow mountain]

Quote: Leontrotsky

It seems that they gave the order not to use air defense under any circumstances.

I'm sure that's how it all happened!

[APASUS]

To hell with air defense, they need education, radars, and guards. No one fired a pistol at low-flying helicopters. That's pure treason.

[Rybkin]

Therefore, only Russians, and not the aborigines, who are greedy for glitter, should service all this!

[musorg]

Russia needs to know who to supply weapons to! For example, without fear of North Korea! It's hard to imagine how much weapons Kyiv had. Everything sent to Venezuela will also end up in the US.

[Moneron]

Didn't the Russian advisers who sold the Venezuelans this air defense system monitor the current equipment situation? Don't make me laugh. The Americans dumped the Heimers on Ukraine and diligently trained local crews in combat conditions. So, the Russians, having dumped the goods, washed their hands of it... And who's supposed to train the crews?... Self-training... externally? So, we've withdrawn... and they've simply lost their nerve, looking at us. And no golden donkey has anything to do with it... That's the opinion of a civilian who's used to doing his job without feeling excruciatingly ashamed... even before God.

[Poruchik77]

I didn't read your post, but I wrote something generally on the topic below. I suddenly remembered that conversation just now.

[Poruchik77]

About 12 years ago, I spoke with one of our instructors who worked there. He was teaching local soldiers how to use the Smerch MLRS. I asked, "So what was the result?" He said they were untrainable. Of all the soldiers, only one girl, a lieutenant, more or less, had learned. The rest were, well, simply illiterate. I asked, "If there's a war, who'll be at the controls?" He said, "We." Apparently, "WE" were sent to the SVO; everyone saw the results of the local soldiers' preparedness. Poor training = a premeditated failure.