Tag: russia

Russia Can ‘Mirror’ in Venezuela What West Is Doing in Ukraine

When regional relations Iran and Syria called on Russia to help defend them against attacks by America, Israel, and a swarm of former ISIS militants, they received no answer. Analysts at the time said, and the President of Ukraine in fact celebrated, that it was because of Russia’s war in eastern Ukraine that assistance could not be rendered to protect Moscow’s interests abroad.

In contrast, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro has called for help, and Moscow has answered, with Russian outlet Gazeta confirming that additional Russian-made air defense systems have arrived in the South American country.

“Information about the volumes and exact names of what is brought from Russia is classified, so surprises may await the Americans,” said Alexei Zhuravlev, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee. “According to the latest information, the Russian Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E systems were delivered to Caracas by transport Il-76 just the other day”.

Flightradar24 recorded an Il-76 cargo aircraft flown by Aviacon Zitotrans – a sanctioned Russian airliner known to carry defense and military articles – arriving in Caracas in late October. Regarding the “surprises,” Zhuravlev said he didn’t see any “obstacles to supplying a friendly country” with the Oreshnik or Kalibr cruise missile systems, from existing international obligations.

Another high-ranking Duma official, Sergey Mironov, leader of the opposition (and socialist) party released a statement in which he suggested his country could and probably should “provide the necessary assistance to the country to guarantee its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

“We can give the United States an opportunity to see what its policy in Ukraine towards Russia looks like…” Mironov said, who like Zhuravlev, singled out the Kalibr cruise missile by name. “In other words, Russia can ‘mirror’ in Venezuela the scenario that the West is implementing in Ukraine by supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime. The only significant difference is that Venezuela does not threaten anyone, and we have no plans to use this country as an anti-American springboard”.

Even short of the cruise missiles, which would give the Trump Administration a substantially different paradigm to work in regarding its plans for Venezuela, the arrival of air defense weaponry cuts right at the heart of the longest-standing foreign policy consensus in Washington: the Monroe Doctrine. Named after the 5th President of the US, James Monroe, the 19th century policy’s 21st century reinterpretation calls for US hegemony of the entire Western Hemisphere, and was invoked in response to Soviet Russia’s actions during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and during the first Trump Administration’s attempt to overthrow Maduro.

Some unverified reports claim that Wagner Group personnel, which have worked in the country before, are in Venezuela training domestic military on at least the Pantsir-S1 system, as it requires specialized knowledge of radar operation and targeting software that it’s not clear the domestic military would possess. If Wagner was in situ preparing the Venezuelans to shoot down American drones, missiles, or pilots, it wouldn’t be any different than what CIA assets have been doing in Ukraine for three years now, but will undoubtedly mark a new, dangerous escalation between US and Russian relations.

One can only imagine how far those relations may fall in a situation whereby Russia begins funneling weapons into a successful defense of Caracas by the Maduro regime against the US.

A ‘Red’ herring

Venezuela’s arsenal is a mixture of old and modern Russian weaponry. The most significant threat the country wields is twenty-one Sukhoi SU-30 fighter aircraft which it acquired between 2006 and 2008. These fourth-generation fighter aircraft carry beyond-visible-sight, supersonic, air-to-air missiles, which could pose a substantial challenge to US F-35s or MQ-9 Reaper drones if the Venezuelan air force can actually scramble and avoid destruction on the tarmac as happened in both Iran and in Syria.

In terms of the ground-to-air weapons, Venezuelan forces man the Russian-made S-125 Pechora-2M and S-300 long-range anti-air missile systems for targeting both aircraft and ballistic missiles, around 12 of the Buk-2M mid-range missile defense platforms, and several hundred anti-air 23mm autocannons.

Some of these systems are old, and most date to Soviet manufacture, but one deceased Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot named Andrii Pilshchykov who spoke with TWZ said that the Buk-M2 was the most concerning threat he faced during operations in defense of his country.

Perhaps more impactful than any of these headline items is the Igla-S24, a shoulder-fired anti-air rocket and the only system in Venezuela’s air defense network that is up to date. Its maximum range is 5,000 feet farther than the US-made Stinger missile, and the military was said in 2017 to have an arsenal of over 5,000 of these according to a report from Reuters.

Keep reading

Liberal Actress Angelina Jolie Makes Unannounced Visit to Ukraine, and Watches Her Bodyguard Get Instantly Mobilized for the Front

Did she bail out the bodyguard or was he sent to the front?

When Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie decided to make a unannounced visit to war-torn Ukraine, she didn’t imagine that she would witness first-hand a grave problem in its society: the prospect of immediate – and forceful – mobilization for combat.

Rumors have swirled online that Jolie had been paid $20 million by USAID for her first visit – but no corroboration was ever found.

During her first visit in 2022 to Lvov in western Ukraine, the air raid sirens sounded, making for an interesting photo op for the star.

Her second visit, this time to frontline areas in Kherson, was also no without some drama, as her surprise appearance was nearly spoiled by military recruiters, who grabbed her bodyguard (or driver, or ‘guide’) and questioned him why he had not enlisted for the army.

The Telegraph reported:

“The Hollywood actress ventured to the southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson on her latest humanitarian mission to the war-torn country, meeting volunteers and medics forced to live underground to escape attacks from Russian troops.

But the unannounced visit nearly descended into chaos after a member of her entourage, believed to be a driver, drew the attention of military recruiters at a checkpoint a few hours north of their first stop in Mykolaiv.”

Keep reading

Russian Forces About To Conquer Key Donetsk Bastion of Pokrovsk After Campaign of Attrition and New Infiltration Tactics

Key Donetsk city of Pokrovsk is about to turn back to being called by its Russian name Krasnoarmeysk.

After a 21-month battle, Russian forces have spread rapidly through Pokrovsk, a Donetsk region bastion where Ukrainian soldiers have begun to surrender.

In many ways, Pokrovsk is the ‘new Bakhmut’ – the city that the world’s media focuses on, an important Volodymyr Zelensky’s PR city.

And we know that it’s about to be lost because sources in the MSM are already stating that ‘Pokrovsk has no strategic value’ – as it has been the case with every major Russian conquest in this war.

Keep reading

Norway to Send $7 Billion to Ukraine – Everyone is Sending Funds Ahead of 2026

Norway is providing Ukraine with an additional $7 billion in 2026, or an astounding 1.23% of GDP. Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik invited Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to participate for the first time in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) meeting. The two sides signed a memorandum to establish joint defense manufacturing in Ukraine, and a subsequent memorandum to establish unified quality standards for such products.

Norway is building defense industry links with Ukraine and positioning itself as a major player in the European/NATO frameworks. Norway gave Ukraine the green light for free trade back in April 2025. The Norwegian government already poured $15 billion into Ukraine since the start of the war in 2022, but nothing among governments is charity.

All European leaders believe Ukraine has a chance of winning this war, with those at the top believing it will provide them with access to the riches of Russia. Governments are broken beyond repair. The belief in Brussels if that sovereign debt defaults could be avoided through raiding Russia and profiting on the ongoing war.

Norway’s long-term Nansen Support Programme framework envisages providing a total of 275 billion kroner (about $27 billion) in aid to Ukraine for the period 2023-2030. The nation believes it can rebuild Ukraine through green initiatives, collaborating with Nordic Environmental Finance Corporation (Nefco) to provide Ukraine 25.5 million euros in green infrastructure projects. Nefco had already been operating in Ukraine for 20 years, but managed to mobilize 400 million euros since 2022 for, or through, Ukraine.

Keep reading

Putin Orders Military to Submit Proposals for Testing Nuclear Weapons

At a meeting with the Russian Security Council, President Vladimir Putin instructed the defense ministry to submit a proposal for testing a nuclear weapon. Last week, President Donald Trump ordered the Department of War to prepare to test a nuclear weapon. 

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, intelligence agencies, and civilian agencies to submit proposals on the possibility of preparing for nuclear weapons tests,” Russian state media, TASS, reported on Tuesday. “Russia warned that if other countries conduct nuclear tests, it would be forced to take retaliatory action, he stated during a meeting with the Russian Security Council.”

Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said that it was expedient to begin preparations for full-scale nuclear tests immediately.

Nuclear weapons testing was rampant during the Cold War, but has largely stopped because of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Both Moscow and Washington are signatories to the agreement, although the world’s two largest nuclear powers have not ratified it. 

Last week, just an hour before meeting with Chinese President Xi, Trump posted on Truth Social, “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office.” 

He continued, “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years. Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”

On Sunday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified Trump’s statement, saying, “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions.”

Keep reading

Pokrovsk Falls, Another Cauldron In Myrnograd

Pokrovsk captured by RF yesterday. Another cauldron in Myrnograd. Azov batallion disobeyed the orders to enter Pokrovsk 2 days ago and withdrew behind Pokrovsk. HUR battalion sent to Pokrovsk and Myrnograd to try to kick out the Russian troops.

Our sources in the Presidential Administration reported that Syrsky reported to Zelenskyy today that Pokrovsk has been lost; the city can no longer be recaptured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The General Staff will focus on lifting the siege of Myrnohrad, and reserves are continuing to be deployed to Dobropillia for this purpose.

Pokrovsk is a key logistic hub for Ukrainian forces to supply the Donbass war effort and the loss of the city is a serious blow to Kyiv.

Keep reading

Zelensky tours neo-Nazi units

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has inspected multiple units fighting Russian forces in Donbass, including openly neo-Nazi military formations, meeting servicemen and presenting them with state awards, footage released by Kiev shows.

The battlefield situation continues to deteriorate for Ukrainian forces in the southwest of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), where Kiev’s units are encircled at the city of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and nearby Mirnograd (Dimitrov). Zelensky met with troops at multiple undisclosed locations, described by Ukrainian media as command points close to the frontline.

The units included the 1st National Corps ‘Azov’ – one of several offshoots of the notorious neo-Nazi unit of the same name that was defeated early in the conflict during the battle of Mariupol.

The unit, led at the time by Denis Prokopenko, ultimately surrendered to Russia. He was later exchanged and now leads the 1st Azov Corps.

Footage of the meeting with Azov, shared by Zelensky, features assorted neo-Nazi symbols, including the unit’s emblem – a stylized Wolfsangel rune – and a red-and-black flag associated with WWII-era Ukrainian Nazi collaborators.

Keep reading

Russia May Send Hypersonic Missiles to Venezuela as Defense Against Regime Change: ‘America May Be in For Some Surprises’

Russia has opened the door to supplying hypersonic missiles to Venezuela as a deterrent against a possible U.S. invasion.

Alexei Zhuravlyov, deputy chairman of Russia’s parliamentary defense committee, warned that “America may be in for some surprises” if it attempts to remove the Maduro dictatorship from power.

“I see no obstacles to supplying a friendly country with new developments such as the Oreshnik or, let’s say, the well-proven Kalibr missiles,” Zhuravlyov told the Russian news site Gazeta.Ru.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that the Oreshnik missiles possess such overwhelming power that launching several of them with conventional warheads would unleash destruction comparable to a nuclear strike.

The Oreshnik was first deployed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024, in retaliation for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range weapons, including British and American Storm Shadow missiles, against targets inside Russia.

The warning comes after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleaded for military assistance from both Moscow and Beijing amid reports that President Trump is planning an operation to remove him from power.

In his letter to the Kremlin, Maduro requested additional Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets, describing them as “the most important deterrent the Venezuelan national government had when facing the threat of war.”

Over the weekend, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Kremlin condemns “the use of excessive military force in carrying out anti-drug tasks.”

Keep reading

Ukraine’s ‘Busification’ — forced conscription — is tip of the iceberg

“Busification” is a well-understood term in Ukraine and refers to the process in which young men are detained against their will, often involving a violent struggle, and bundled into a vehicle — often a minibus — for onward transit to an army recruitment center.

Until recently, Ukraine’s army recruiters picked easy targets. Yet, on October 26, the British Sun newspaper’s defense editor, Jerome Starkey, wrote a harrowing report about a recent trip to the front line in Ukraine, during which he claimed his Ukrainian colleague was “forcibly press-ganged into his country’s armed services.”

This case was striking for two reasons; first, that the forced mobilization of troops is rarely reported by Western mainstream media outlets. And second, that unlike most forced conscriptions, this event took place following the alleged commandeering of the Western journalists’ vehicle by three armed men, who insisted they drive to a recruitment center.

There, Starkey reported, “I saw at least [a] dozen glum men — mostly in their 40s and 50s — clutching sheafs of papers. They were called in and out of side rooms for rubber-stamp medicals to prove they were fit to fight.”

The process has drawn criticism after high-profile incidents where men have died even before they donned military uniforms. On October 23, Ukrainian Roman Sopin died from heavy blunt trauma to the head after he had been forcibly recruited. Ukrainian authorities claim that he fell, but his family is taking legal action. In August, a conscripted man, 36, died suddenly at a recruitment center in Rivne, although the authorities claim he died of natural causes. In June, 45-year-old Ukrainian-Hungarian Jozsef Sebestyen died after he was beaten with iron bars following his forced conscription; the Ukrainian military denies this version of events. In August, a conscript died from injuries sustained after he jumped out of a moving vehicle that was transporting him to the recruitment center.

Look online and you’ll find a trove of thousands of incidents, with most of them filmed this year alone. You can find videos of a recruitment officer chasing a man and shooting at him, a man being choked to death on the street with a recruiter’s knee on his neck. Many include family members or friends fighting desperately to prevent their loved one being taken against his will.

If videos of this nature, on this systemic scale, were shared in the United States or the United Kingdom, I believe that members of the public would express serious concerns. Yet the Western media remains largely silent, and I find it difficult to understand why.

In November 2024, Ukraine’s defense minister Rustem Umerov claimed that he would put an end to busification. It is true that Ukraine has been taking steps to modernize its army recruitment and make enlistment more appealing to men under the age of 25. Yet, there is little evidence that those efforts are having the desired effect. And after a year, busification only appears to be getting worse, yet remains widely ignored by the Western press.

Keep reading

Russia Moves to Mandate State Biometric ID for Online Age Verification

Russian lawmakers are moving forward with a proposal that would make the country’s biometric and e-government systems the mandatory gatekeepers for online age verification.

If implemented, the measure would tie access to adult or “potentially harmful” content directly to a person’s verified state identity, dissolving any remaining expectation of online anonymity.

The plan, discussed on October 28, is being marketed as a child protection initiative. Officials insist it is designed to keep minors away from dangerous material, yet the scope of what qualifies is remarkably broad.

According to TechRadar, one official included pornography, violent or profane videos, and even “propaganda of antisocial behavior” in the list of restricted content.

The main part of the proposal is the use of the “Gosuslugi” digital services portal, which already functions as Russia’s main interface for state verification.

This system connects directly to the Unified System of Identification and Authentication (ESIA) and the national Unified Biometrics System (UBS), both of which are controlled by the government.

State Duma deputy Anton Nemkin, a former FSB officer, suggested that these networks “could be used to verify age without directly transmitting passport data to third-party platforms.”

In effect, the state would become the universal intermediary between citizens and the internet.

Legal experts specializing in digital rights argue that this initiative continues a long-established trajectory.

Since 2012, when Russia began constructing its online censorship framework under the pretext of protecting minors, each new regulation has chipped away at personal privacy while expanding government visibility into everyday digital life.

The current proposal also fits neatly within Moscow’s broader strategy of “digital sovereignty.”

Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Andrei Svintsov recently claimed that every Russian internet user will lose their anonymity within “three years, five at most,” TechRadar reported.

This vision aligns with another state project approved in June, the development of a national “super app” integrating digital ID, government services, and payment systems, which would even let users “confirm one’s age to a supermarket cashier.”

Keep reading