--- title: "Russian General In Venezuela Leading Advisory Mission: Ukraine’s Intel Chief" date: "2025-11-19" modified: "2025-11-19" authors: - name: "Howard Altman" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/howard-altman" url: "https://www.twz.com/news-features/russian-general-in-venezuela-leading-advisory-mission-ukraines-intel-chief" categories: - "Americas" - "Armies" - "Around The Globe" - "Europe" - "Land" - "News & Features" - "POTUS" - "Russia" - "Russian Army" - "South America" - "Ukraine" --- # Russian General In Venezuela Leading Advisory Mission: Ukraine’s Intel Chief ![A Russian general is in Venezuela with about 120 troops training and advising Venezuelans according to Ukrainian intelligence.]() *Russian MoD* A [controversial Russian general]() is now in [Venezuela]() leading a rotational advisory mission, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) told *The War Zone* exclusively. Colonel General Oleg Leontievich Makarevich commands the Russian Ministry of Defense's Equator Task Force (ETF), [Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov]() said. Makarevich is in charge of more than 120 troops who are training Venezuelan forces on a wide range of military functions, according to Budanov. Those activities are not in reaction to the current U.S. military buildup in the region. *The War Zone* cannot independently verify Budanov's claim and we have reached out to the White House, Pentagon and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) for confirmation. We will update this story with any pertinent details provided. Questions to Budanov were prompted in part by [a story in *Intelligence Online* ]()claiming that an elite Russian drone unit has arrived in Venezuela to teach troops there how to use [first-person view]() (FPV) drones. The Ukrainian intelligence chief’s comments come as the Trump administration has [established a significant presence of U.S. forces]() in the Caribbean. While Task Force Southern Spear is ostensibly aimed at countering narcotics trafficking in the region, the effort is also focused on pressuring Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. You can catch up with our recent coverage of the ongoing Caribbean operation [here](). ![]() *A U.S. Air Force B-52H bomber and U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets flew over the aircraft carrier USS *Gerald R. Ford* as it entered the SOUTHCOM region. (SOUTHCOM)* Makarevich and his troops are likely to remain in Venezuela during any U.S. attack, Budanov suggested. “I think they will be behind the scenes and officially Russia will try to speak to the U.S. because their units are in Venezuela,” Budanov said. “It’s just a game.” The Russians are serving as “military advisors and also teachers,” Budanov explained. “In general, it’s infantry, UAV and special forces training.” Among other things, ETF is also providing Venezuela with signals intelligence, Budanov added. The deployment of Russian troops to Venezuela is a long-standing rotation that has existed for years, Budanov noted. He also said that GUR has not identified any change in Russian troop levels in Venezuela since Trump’s Caribbean push began. However, it appears that Makarevich, who has been in the South American country since the beginning of the year, has had his deployment there extended, Budanov said. Typical rotations for Russian commanders last about six months, he pointed out. ![]() *Russian Colonel General Oleg Leontievich Makarevich salutes Russian President Vladimir Putin. (GUR)* Makarevich and about 90 Russian officers and other troops are located in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, according to a document Budanov shared with us. The rest are stationed at Maracaibo, La Guaira and Aves Island. The U.S. likewise has advisors throughout South America who also [train troops, offer operational advice ]()and [sometimes serve as observers](). As for a [high-ranking Russian politician's claim ]()that Moscow recently provided [Pantsir-S1]() and [Buk-M2E]() air defense systems, Budanov was uncertain. "The Buk-M2 we see," he told us. "The Pantsir we don't know about." That politician, Alexei Zhuravlev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, [also threatened]() that Russia could increase the supply of advanced weapons to Venezuela, including long-range standoff weapons, like cruise missiles. Another concern for the U.S. could be Russia providing [Shahed-family drones]() capable of striking targets at great distances and at low cost. In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened that he could provide standoff weapons to America’s enemies, Venezuela among them, [as we have previously noted](). A separate document Budanov shared with us provides greater insight into the ETF mission in Venezuela. It explains how Russian troops are providing training in several key areas and assessing the combat capabilities of the Venezuelan Armed Forces. That includes armor, aircraft, artillery, drones and even dogs. In addition, Russia is helping Venezuela monitor domestic groups and foreign governments, according to the document. We cannot independently confirm the provenance of the document or the accuracy of the information stated within it. It is interesting to note that Makarevich, 62, was put in charge of this task force. [Putin fired him]() as commander of the Dnipro Group of troops in October 2023 after Ukraine’s successful Kherson counteroffensive. During that operation, Ukrainian forces [recaptured Kherson City in November 2022](). You can see Russian officials talking about that event, a huge defeat for Russia at the time, in the following video. https://twitter.com/maxseddon/status/1590362358689705984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1590371601169907712%7Ctwgr%5E28ce3388038b41ecd5300e9150c69ea9d4a684a8%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twz.com%2Frussian-proclaims-its-retreat-from-kherson-city Makarevich is [also accused by Ukraine]() of ordering the June 2023 [destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam](). The incident caused massive flooding and severe economic and environmental damage. At the time, then-Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu blamed Ukraine, saying that Kyiv blew up the dam to prevent Russian offensive actions in the region. ![Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the destruction of the Nova Karkhova dam.]() *PHOTO © 2023 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION* Meanwhile, the world continues to wait on Trump’s decision about what to do with the [huge U.S. military presence in the region](). It includes the aircraft carrier USS *Ford*, three of its escort ships, seven other Navy surface warships, a special operations mothership, a wide array of aerial assets and about 15,000 troops. In another apparent step closer to taking some kind of kinetic action, Trump has "signed off on C.I.A. plans for covert measures inside Venezuela, operations that could be meant to prepare a battlefield for further action," [*The New York Times* reported](). Asked if Ukraine's GUR has assets in Venezuela, Budanov offered a coy response. "We collect all the information about them," he said. *Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com* ## Author Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for *TWZ*. He writes frequently about conflict, focusing heavily on the Middle East and Ukraine, and interviews with military and intelligence officials and industry leaders from around the globe. He lives near Tampa, Florida, home of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()