Heavy Russian cargo plane lands in Caracas amid US-Venezuela tensions

BERLIN — A Russian transport aircraft of a type linked to the country’s military and former Wagner mercenary group has landed in the Venezuelan capital over the weekend, signaling heightened Russian interest in the Latin American country.

The Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft with the registration RA-78765 arrived in Caracas on Sunday after a two-day journey that took it from Russia via Armenia, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal and Mauritania to Latin America, flight records show . It appears the aircraft embarked on its trip from an airport in the greater Moscow area, with the transponder signal first being picked up shortly after takeoff.

The multi-stop journey is emblematic of the circuitous routes used to avoid Western airspace or possible cargo inspections in unfriendly countries. It is also possible that deliveries or pick-ups were made along the way.

Russia has a military presence in Algeria, maintains an industrial footprint in Senegal, and relations with Morocco are cordial. Russian mercenaries have also been present in Mauritania, crossing over from neighboring Mali. Stopping in Russia-friendly countries in West Africa also allowed the aircraft to refuel before crossing the Atlantic.

An Il-76 can transport up to 50 tons of cargo or up to 200 people. Aircraft of this type are known to have delivered small arms, military supplies and even mercenaries on Russia’s behalf in the past. Larger deliveries, such as an S-400 air defense system, would likely require several trips.

Aviacon Zitotrans, the operator of the Ilyushin, has a fleet of six transport aircraft and is under sanctions by the U.S., Canada and Ukraine for its ties to the Russian military. It has delivered military equipment such as rockets, warheads, and helicopter parts globally, including to regions where the mercenary Wagner group has been active. The Wagner group, formerly headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been a key tool used by Russian president Vladimir Putin to extend his country’s global geopolitical reach and was particularly active in Africa, with reports of some activity in Latin America. Following the group’s mutiny in 2023, it was absorbed into the Russian military proper, with its African operations turned into the Russian Africa Corps.

The latest Russian moves in the region come as tensions between Venezuela, a longtime Moscow-aligned country, and the United States have reached new heights. The U.S. has accused the government in Caracas of being involved in the illegal drug trade, and has deployed military assets to the region to conduct strikes on vessels it accuses of trafficking narcotics.

Washington has recently moved an aircraft carrier strike group to the region in a significant escalation of its military posturing. Venezuela has accused the U.S. of “fabricating war.”

Linus Höller is Defense News' Europe correspondent and OSINT investigator. He reports on the arms deals, sanctions, and geopolitics shaping Europe and the world. He holds master’s degrees in WMD nonproliferation, terrorism studies, and international relations, and works in four languages: English, German, Russian, and Spanish.

柏林——一架与俄罗斯军方和前瓦格纳雇佣兵集团有关联的俄罗斯运输机于周末降落在委内瑞拉首都，这表明俄罗斯对这个拉丁美洲国家的兴趣日益浓厚。

一架注册号为RA-78765的伊尔-76运输机于周日抵达加拉加斯。飞行记录显示，该飞机历时两天，从俄罗斯经亚美尼亚、阿尔及利亚、摩洛哥、塞内加尔和毛里塔尼亚飞往拉丁美洲。据悉，该飞机从莫斯科大都会区的某机场起飞，起飞后不久便接收到应答器信号。

这种多站转运的路线，正是为避开西方领空或不友好国家可能的货物检查而采用的迂回路线的典型例子。途中也可能进行了货物交付或提货。

俄罗斯在阿尔及利亚驻有军队，在塞内加尔拥有工业基地，并与摩洛哥保持友好关系。俄罗斯雇佣兵也曾出现在毛里塔尼亚，他们从邻国马里越境进入毛里塔尼亚。在西非亲俄国家停留也使飞机得以在飞越大西洋前加油。

一架伊尔-76运输机最多可运载50吨货物或200人。据悉，此类飞机过去曾代表俄罗斯运送过小型武器、军事物资，甚至雇佣兵。运送更大规模的物资，例如S-400防空系统，可能需要多次飞行。

伊尔-20运输机的运营商Aviacon Zitotrans公司拥有六架运输机，并因与俄罗斯军方的关系而受到美国、加拿大和乌克兰的制裁。该公司曾向全球各地运送火箭、弹头和直升机零部件等军事装备，包括瓦格纳雇佣兵集团活跃的地区。瓦格纳集团曾由叶夫根尼·普里戈任领导，是俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京拓展俄罗斯全球地缘政治影响力的重要工具，尤其活跃于非洲，据报道在拉丁美洲也有活动。2023年该集团发生兵变后，被并入俄罗斯军队，其在非洲的行动也转变为俄罗斯非洲军团。

俄罗斯在该地区的最新举动正值委内瑞拉（一个长期与莫斯科结盟的国家）与美国之间的紧张关系达到新高之际。美国指责委内瑞拉政府参与非法毒品交易，并已向该地区部署军事力量，对被指控走私毒品的船只进行打击。

华盛顿近期向该地区部署了一个航母打击群，显著升级了其军事姿态。委内瑞拉指责美国“捏造战争”。

林努斯·霍勒是《防务新闻》的欧洲记者和开源情报调查员。他报道影响欧洲乃至全球的军火交易、制裁和地缘政治。他拥有大规模杀伤性武器不扩散、恐怖主义研究和国际关系三个硕士学位，并精通英语、德语、俄语和西班牙语四种语言。