Russia is supplying weapons to Venezuela and may deliver its new Oreshnik missile system, according to Alexei Zhuravlyov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Defense Committee.
Speaking to Gazeta.ru, Zhuravlyov said: “I see no obstacles to supplying a friendly country with new developments such as the Oreshnik.”
He stressed that Russia remains Venezuela’s key military-technical partner, providing “almost the full range of weaponry, from small arms to aviation.”
Details of the deliveries are classified, he added, warning that “the Americans may be in for surprises.”
Russian state media has reported, without evidence, that the missile is capable of hitting any target on the European continent in under an hour and obliterating it with up to six independently maneuvering warheads each armed with an atomic munition.
Zhuravlyov said Russian Su-30MK2 fighter jets form the core of Venezuela’s Air Force, making it “one of the most powerful aviation states in the region.”
He also noted previous deliveries of S-300VM (Antey-2500) systems and recent shipments of Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E air-defense systems transported by Il-76 aircraft. According to him, Moscow’s international obligations do not restrict the supply of advanced arms to Caracas, including Kalibr cruise missile systems.
The Washington Post reported last week that Venezuela had requested from Moscow 14 surface-to-air missile systems, overhauls for Su-30MK2 fighter jets and engines, radar repairs, and logistical support. Sources told the outlet that Caracas also reached out to China and Iran to deepen cooperation in surveillance, GPS-jamming, and long-range drone technologies.
Meanwhile, US military activity in the Caribbean intensified in August, when the Trump administration deployed a 16,000-strong naval and air group to conduct anti-narcotics operations. The force includes eight surface ships, a nuclear submarine, a B-52 bomber, F-35 fighters, and the carrier Gerald R. Ford with five escort vessels.
As Reuters reported on Nov. 2, the US is also reviving the long-closed Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Puerto Rico, which had been inactive for over two decades. Construction began on Sept. 17, with crews upgrading taxiways leading to runways – a move expected to increase the number of fighter and cargo flights.
New equipment and temporary structures are being installed, while additional infrastructure projects, including ammunition depots, are underway at civilian airports in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Venezuela.
