- Sources said Venezuela’s air defenses and fighter fleet were largely non-operational before recent strikes due to failed repairs and spare parts shortages linked to Russia.
- Of 12 Buk-M2E systems only five were operational, while S-300V systems and most Su-30 fighters had been grounded for extended periods.
Newly released footage confirms that at least one Buk-M2E surface-to-air missile system was destroyed during an airstrike on the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in Caracas.
The video shows a Buk-M2E launcher vehicle completely destroyed by a direct hit at the air base named after Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda, one of Venezuela’s key military installations in the capital. Visible in the wreckage are the remains of surface-to-air missiles that were still loaded on the launcher and had not been fired before the strike.
According to the same reports, the strike caused secondary damage to civilian buses parked near the launcher, which were also visibly damaged by the blast. No official casualty figures were released.
The Buk-M2E is a medium-range air defense system designed to engage aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The export variant used by Venezuela is based on the Russian 9K317E configuration and is mounted on a wheeled MZKT chassis capable of operating independently or as part of a layered air defense network.
Venezuela’s air defense systems and combat aircraft were largely non-operational before recent U.S. strikes, according to multiple sources familiar with the condition of the country’s military equipment, citing long-standing maintenance failures and a shortage of spare parts linked to Russia’s unmet support obligations.
Sources said the operational readiness of Venezuela’s air defense network had sharply deteriorated after Russia failed to fulfill commitments related to repairs, overhauls, and the delivery of critical spare parts. As a result, only a fraction of the systems nominally in service were capable of combat use at the time of the strikes.
According to the sources, Venezuela had formally fielded 12 Russian-supplied Buk-M2E surface-to-air missile systems, but only five were in operational condition. The remaining launchers were reportedly sidelined due to technical faults, lack of replacement components, and incomplete maintenance cycles.
The situation was described as more severe for Venezuela’s long-range air defense assets. The S-300V systems deployed by the country were said to have been in a non-combat-ready state for more than a year, with no meaningful restoration work completed. The systems reportedly lacked functional components and could not be returned to service without external technical support.
The problems extended beyond air defense to Venezuela’s fighter aviation. The country operates Russian-made Su-30MK2 fighters, but sources said most of the fleet suffered from an acute shortage of serviceable engines and essential spare parts. Several aircraft were reportedly grounded for extended periods due to the inability to replace or overhaul powerplants and avionics components.