Putin has sent one of his top military officials to Venezuela, alongside several hundred military personnel to train the Venezuelan army on army tactics
Vladimir Putin has sent one of his most senior generals to Venezuela, as well as Russian forces whose role is to train an infamous dictator’s troops.
According to a senior Ukraine intelligence official, General Kyrlo Budanov, Russia has set up what’s known as the ‘Equator Task Force.’ This is led by Colonel General Oleg Makarevich and is a cohort of 120 soldiers who are training the Venezuelan army on everything from infantry tactics to drone use.
It comes after Trump is ramping up its number of military equipment, warships and troops close to the region. While it’s said that the increased presence is due to drug traffickers, it’s also part of a wider campaign to pressure Maduro to resign.
Budanov said that the Russians 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 also described the task force as being made up of ‘military advisors and also teachers’ who are providing training for infantry units, UAV operators and special forces.
The Ukrainian official added that while he’s seen no increase in Russian numbers since the US build-up began, Makarevich appears to have had his stay extended beyond the usual six-month rotation, according to the Daily Mail.
It comes as no surprise given Russia’s increasing influence in South America. A briefing published by the European Parliament outlines some of the reasons why Putin is looking to foster strong relationships with the Global South that are ‘not firmly aligned with the Western world.’
According to the paper, Russian foreign policy changed in 2016 to ‘place a greater emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa, where the Kremlin has been building influence since the Soviet era.’
Moscow aims to ‘counter’ the United States’ established presence in the region, and has ramped up efforts since the Ukraine war. It has done so in different ways over the years.
Kremlin-backed misinformation campaigns in the Global South
One way Russia has worked on gaining influence in Latin America is through the use of powerful disinformation campaigns that ‘exploit the openness of democratic societies,’ according to experts.
For example, Russia’s state-sponsored media outlet RT has placed ads all over Mexico City’s busiest roads, with slogans such as ‘the news has no borders.’
Analysis from Modern Diplomacy found that these ads, designed as polished, neutral journalism, aimed to target working class communities in Mexico with ‘subtle, strategic misinformation designed to reshape their perception of truth, democracy, and international alliances.’
As well as that, RT en Español and Sputnik Mundo have established themselves as a form of ‘alternative media’ in the region – a contrast to Western-backed media.
However, it’s full of disinformation and misleading articles on everything from Trump’s push for America’s military to invade Mexico, Putin’s ‘heroic demilitarisation and denazification” effort in Ukraine, and how Ukrainian Nazis justify their beliefs upon American ideals.
Military exchanges between Russia and Venezuela
Russia’s military influence in region started in the early 2000s, as part of what’s known as the ‘Primakov Doctrine.’ This is the belief that Russia should hold influence in regions where the US does (such as the Global South) in retaliation for US interference in Eastern Europe.
In 2024, Moscow sent warships to the region twice, including deploying a nuclear-capable submarine with hypersonic missiles in Cuba and two nuclear-capable bombers dispatched from Moscow to Venezuela in 2018.
Since the Ukraine War, Moscow has been more strategic in how it build influence, given its lower capacity to supply weapons to the region, as well as the several sanctions on Russian imports.
Instead, it’s now starting to focus on training military personnel in the region. Between 2022 and 2025, Russia regularly received students from historical allies in its military academies, such as the Tyumen Higher Military Engineer Command School and the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy.
Russia also signed new agreements strengthening military education exchanges with Nicaragua and Venezuela.
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