NYT: Venezuela unable to operate Russian air defences during US operation

Venezuela’s Russian-made air defence systems were not fully operational when US forces launched an operation to capture former President Nicolás Maduro, leaving the country’s airspace far less protected than expected, according to intel gathered by The New York Times.

US officials said that advanced S-300 and Buk-M2 air defence systems supplied by Russia were not even properly connected to radar when US helicopters entered Venezuelan airspace, making it possible for the Pentagon to carry out what it called Operation Absolute Resolve.

The systems had been presented as a symbol of close military ties between Venezuela and Russia and as a deterrent to US military action. Venezuela announced the purchase of the air defences in 2009 amid tensions with Washington, with then-President Hugo Chávez promoting them as protection against American aggression.

However, according to four current and former US officials cited by The New York Times, Venezuela was unable to properly maintain and operate the S-300 — considered one of the world’s most advanced air defence systems — as well as the Buk systems, leaving the country’s airspace vulnerable.

An analysis by NYT of photos, videos, and satellite imagery also found that some air defence components were still in storage rather than deployed at the time of the attack. The findings suggest that, despite months of warnings, Venezuela was not prepared for the US operation.

Former officials and analysts said the poor state of the air defences indicates long-standing problems within the Venezuelan military.

“After years of corruption, poor logistics and sanctions, all those things would have certainly degraded the readiness of Venezuela’s air defence systems,” said Richard de la Torre, a former C.I.A. station chief in Venezuela who now runs Tower Strategy, a Washington-based lobbying firm.

By Sabina Mammadli