Introduction
Introduction Statistics Contact Development Disclaimer Help
.-') _ .-') _
( OO ) ) ( OO ) )
.-----. ,--./ ,--,' ,--./ ,--,'
' .--./ | \ | |\ | \ | |\
| |('-. | \| | )| \| | )
/_) |OO )| . |/ | . |/
|| |`-'| | |\ | | |\ |
(_' '--'\ | | \ | | | \ |
`-----' `--' `--' `--' `--'
lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
In show of force to Trump, Venezuela launches military drills and
displays its Russian fighter jets
By Mauricio Torres, German Padinger, Michael Rios, CNN
Updated:
7:18 PM EDT, Thu September 18, 2025
Source: CNN
Venezuela has launched three days of military exercises and put on
display its Russian-built fighter jets in a show of force aimed at the
US amid rising tensions over Washington’s deployment of to the
Caribbean.
More than 2,500 soldiers have been mobilized on Venezuela’s Caribbean
island of La Orchila for the exercises, dubbed “Sovereign Caribbean
200,” that will include air, sea and land maneuvers.
Twelve naval ships of various classes and types, 22 aircraft and about
20 boats will take part, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino
said on the state-run channel VTV.
His comments accompanied a broadcast showing amphibious craft and
troops landing on a beach as warships sailed off the island and jets
flew over the sea.
Separately, Venezuela has also been showcasing many of its Russian-made
fighter jets equipped with anti-ship missiles.
Padrino described the drills, which began Wednesday, as part of
Venezuela’s response to the deployment of the US warships to the
region.
Washington insists those ships – which include three Arleigh
Burke-class destroyers, the cruiser Lake Erie, the amphibious assault
ship USS Iwo Jima, and a nuclear-powered submarine – are on a mission
to combat drug trafficking, but Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
has claimed the deployment is aimed at regime change.
The US has previously accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking
and has put a $50 million bounty on his head.
Caracas also claims to have deployed millions of throughout the
country, with Maduro warning last month that “no empire will touch
the sacred soil of Venezuela.”
The exercises were launched a day after US President Donald Trump said
the US had struck a total of three , claiming they were transporting
drugs from Venezuela.
The US said it struck the first boat – allegedly tied to the
Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua – on September 2, killing 11 people.
On Monday, Trump announced a second strike against alleged
“narcoterrorists,” which the administration said killed three
people.
Then on Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “We knocked off three boats,
actually, not two. But you saw two.”
Russian jets in Venezuela’s arsenal
The exercises come after Venezuela on Monday released images of
Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets equipped with anti-ship
missiles.
Its air force posted a video on Instagram showing the aircraft, first
on the ground, where the missiles can be seen hanging from the wings,
and then in flight.
At least part of the video had already been shared on social media in
2024, CNN confirmed. It is not clear when the remaining footage was
taken. CNN has reached out to Venezuela’s Ministry of Defense for
more information.
According to the post, the jets are Russian Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 fighters
from the 13th “Lions” Fighter Air Group, armed with Russian-made
Kh-31 “Krypton” air-to-surface anti-ship missiles.
According to a report from the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and
Technologies, Venezuela has purchased an unknown number of these
missiles from Russia, which arrived in the country between 2007 and
2008.
And according to a 2024 open-source assessment of various military
forces by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Venezuela
has both anti-ship and anti-radar versions of the Kh-31 missiles. It
also operates a total of 21 Su-30MK2 fighters, although it is unclear
how many are in service given the country’s economic problems over
the past decade, which have affected Venezuela’s arsenal.
A report by the Venezuelan NGO Control Ciudadano on military air
accidents in Venezuela over the past two decades highlights both the
government’s “opacity” in its reports and possible “problems of
system obsolescence, maintenance and lack of spare parts.”
CNN has reached out to the US Departments of Defense and State for
comment.
On Tuesday, Trump’s special envoy for special missions, Richard
Grenell, said he still believes it is possible for the United States to
reach an agreement with Venezuela and avoid war.
<- back to index
You are viewing proxied material from codevoid.de. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.