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A Russian aircraft that’s previously been tied to the country’s Wagner mercenary group has landed in Venezuela.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you haven’t been following along, the US is continuing to surge military assets near Venezuela in what officials publicly describe as a counter-narcotics mission. As of now, nine US Navy ships are already deployed in the region, and a full carrier strike group is en route, marking one of the most significant American naval buildups in the Western Hemisphere in decades. In addition to the naval presence, there has been a noticeable uptick in US aerial operations, including the deployment of refueling tankers, electronic surveillance aircraft, and long-range bombers conducting flights around Venezuelan airspace. While the US insists the mission is focused solely on interdicting drug trafficking, some observers interpret the scale and composition of the buildup as something bigger (potentially laying the groundwork to pressure or even forcibly remove Nicolás Maduro from power).

What’s going on now: In a notable development, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76TD cargo aircraft (tail number RA-78765) landed in Caracas after a multi-day journey originating near Moscow. The aircraft is operated by Aviacon Zitotrans, a Russian air cargo company that has been sanctioned by the US, Canada, and Ukraine for its close ties to Russia’s military-industrial complex. This specific aircraft has previously been linked to covert military logistics operations, including the transport of weapons and Wagner Group personnel to conflict zones in Africa.

The plane’s arrival in Venezuela appears to have followed a carefully routed path designed to avoid Western airspace. It made multiple stops through Russian-aligned or neutral countries (including Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, and Mauritania) before crossing the Atlantic. This kind of routing is typical of Russian military and intelligence logistics operations when there’s a need to dodge Western sanctions enforcement and cargo inspections.

While the exact contents of the recent flight into Venezuela remain unknown, Russian military bloggers have openly speculated that it may have delivered personnel, arms, or even laid the groundwork for future deployments of advanced weapons systems.

Will monitor, more to come.