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| Putin 'sends top general to Venezuela along with troops tasked with training up President Maduro's forces' as US considers attacking South American country | |
| 2025-11-27 | |
| [Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Vladimir Putin has sent one of his top generals to Venezuela, along with troops tasked with training Nicolás Maduro's forces, according to a Ukrainian intelligence official. The revelation comes as the US continues to amass a huge military presence in the region, with Donald Trump considering an attack on the South American country.
Budanov claims that the Russian mission was already in place before the United States dramatically increased its number of equipment and personnel close to Venezuela. The Ukrainian spy chief spoke as Trump's administration maintains a large number of US warships, aircraft and troops close to Venezuelan waters. Washington says the deployment is aimed at drug traffickers, but it is also part of a campaign to pressure Maduro to resign. Trump's senior advisers, including defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, are said to be presenting him with options for military operations. Budanov argued that Makarevich and his men would not leave if the United States launched an attack. He told The War Zone: 'I think they will be behind the scenes and officially, Russia will try to speak to the US because their units are in Venezuela. It's just a game.' He described the Russian contingent as 'military advisors and also teachers,' and said they were providing training for infantry units, UAV operators and special forces. He added that the task force was also helping Venezuela gather signals intelligence. Budanov said the Russian presence is not new, explaining that Moscow has maintained rotating advisory teams in Venezuela for years. He said he had seen no increase in Russian numbers since the US build-up began, although Makarevich appears to have had his stay extended beyond the usual six-month rotation. Documents shared by Budanov place Makarevich and around ninety Russian personnel in Caracas, with others stationed in Maracaibo, La Guaira and Aves Island. The United States also trains and advises partner forces across Latin America, providing operational guidance and observation roles in several countries. Earlier this month, a senior Russian lawmaker, Alexei Zhuravlev, listed a number of weapons he claims the country sent to Venezuela, including SU-30MK2 fighters and S-300VMs. He also said Putin had sent in the Pantsir-S1, which is not known to be among Venezuela's arsenal. But Budanov said he could not confirm Zhuravlev's claims. He noted: 'The Buk-M2 we see,' he said. 'The Pantsir we don't know about.' Zhuravlev has warned that Russia could send more advanced weapons to the country, including long-range missiles. Western officials have also raised concerns that Moscow might supply Iranian-style Shahed drones capable of long-distance strikes. For years, Venezuela has been Russia's most important trading and military partner in South America. Earlier this year, Putin and Maduro signed a deal which strengthened their partnership. Related: Venezuela: 2025-11-26 CONFIRMED: 51 Tren de Aragua Gang Members Arrested During Texas Night Club Raid Venezuela: 2025-11-25 Trump plans to talk to Maduro, media reports say Venezuela: 2025-11-25 Colombia's Gustavo Petro Dares Marco Rubio to Arrest Him: ‘Want to Put Me in an Orange Jumpsuit? Try It' | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #2 |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-11-27 09:43 |
| #1 |
| Posted by: badanov 2025-11-27 07:18 |