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2 months ago
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A fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026.
STR / AFP
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned what it called a U.S. act of “armed aggression” against Venezuela, urging restraint and warning against further escalation after a series of explosions rocked the capital Caracas early in the morning.
“The pretexts cited to justify these actions are untenable. Ideologically driven hostility has prevailed over practical pragmatism and a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Moscow, an ally of Venezuela, called for dialogue and said it was ready to support diplomatic efforts.
“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for the course pursued by its Bolivarian leadership to defend the country’s national interests and sovereignty,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Russia’s embassy in Caracas said it is operating as usual and remains in constant contact with the Venezuelan authorities and Russian citizens in the South American country. It did not report any Russian citizens as having been injured in the attacks.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the American military carried out a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela on Saturday, claiming that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured “in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement” and flown out of the country.
In comments to The New York Times shortly after his announcement, Trump hailed what he called a “brilliant operation.”
“A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” he was quoted as saying. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”
Russia’s Foreign Ministry demanded clarity on Maduro’s whereabouts. It said his capture would represent an “unacceptable encroachment on the sovereignty of an independent state.”
Trump is expected to give a news conference about the U.S. strikes at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, at 11 a.m. local time on Saturday.
According to CNN, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the U.S. attack impacted urban areas across Venezuela, with missiles and rockets fired from American combat helicopters.
He said Venezuelan authorities are currently trying to assess how many people were wounded and killed in the attacks.
“This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has suffered,” López said, vowing that Venezuela would resist the presence of foreign troops in the country
Saturday’s attack on Venezuela and alleged capture of Maduro come after months of the United States dramatically increasing its military presence in the Caribbean, amassing thousands of troops and over a dozen warships in the region.
Since September, U.S. forces have carried out strikes on boats that the Trump Administration alleges were involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
But Trump has also repeatedly indicated that he is interested in regime change in Venezuela, accusing authorities in Caracas of “narco-terrorism” and stealing U.S. oil fields.
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