Maduros Capture Highlights Russias Strategic Stumbles in Ukraine

Pro-Kremlin individuals and military bloggers have criticized the U.S. for its removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, while also highlighting Russia’s own shortcomings in failing to capture Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Washington was “in control” of Venezuela following a surprise military operation that ousted Maduro from the country over the weekend.

Moscow has demanded Maduro and his wife’s release, labeling their capture as an “unacceptable violation of an independent state’s sovereignty.”

However, Russian military bloggers, who boast significant followings and often critique Russia’s military strategy in Ukraine, drew a stark comparison between the U.S. operation and Russia’s unsuccessful attempt to seize Kyiv and topple Zelensky’s administration in February 2022.

“From the footage coming out of Venezuela, it appears that U.S. forces faced no opposition, either in the air or on the ground. I find it hard to imagine Russian helicopters flying freely over Kyiv. Ukraine has been preparing for conflict with Russia for eight years, while Venezuela has devoted years to hosting military parades,” pro-Kremlin war correspondent Alexander Kots shared with over 512,000 of his Telegram followers.

“Today, we are contending with a formidable adversary that benefits from unprecedented support… We stumbled over our own mistakes in 2022,” Kots remarked. “Nevertheless, there are still numerous examples worldwide from which we can draw lessons.”

The pro-war Telegram channel Starshe Eddy, with around 600,000 followers, rebuffed efforts to downplay the U.S. operation.

“To claim the operation in Caracas was ‘nonsense’ and suggest that Russia could perform much better if given the command is simply crude and boastful nationalism,” the channel asserted.

“Clearly, there is no military mission to abduct [Zelensky]. He is far more valuable in his current capacity than he would be in Lefortovo Prison [in Moscow],” Starshe Eddy stated. “That said, there are numerous lower-ranking officials whose removal could enhance our reputation and standing.”

Pro-war blogger Alexander Kartavykh humorously noted that while “the Americans captured Maduro, we captured a raccoon from Kherson,” referring to the animals taken from the Kherson Zoo during Russia’s withdrawal in November 2022.

“If you initiate the next ‘special military operation’ without getting rid of the military and political leadership and entertain naive notions of fraternal nations, you are absolute fools, and your descendants will curse you,” he remarked, alluding to one of the Kremlin’s justifications for its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ultra-nationalist thinker Alexander Dugin characterized the events in Venezuela as “a critical and urgent challenge for Russia.”

“The capture of Maduro illustrates that international law is no longer in effect; only the law of force prevails,” he explained, urging Russia to make swift decisions and take decisive actions.

“The war in Ukraine must not, under any circumstances, be halted until victory is secured,” he emphasized. “Observe Venezuela. If we do not eliminate them now, they will annihilate us tomorrow — or even today. If necessary, we must also be prepared to confront the United States. While conquering them may be beyond us, we can certainly defend ourselves.”

Veterans of the FSB’s Alfa special forces expressed skepticism regarding the U.S. operation to detain Maduro, claiming it lacked “any notable professionalism” in its execution.

Alfa veteran and FSB colonel Vitaly Demidkin asserted that Moscow “could easily abduct Zelensky, but we adhere to international law. That’s why we are refraining from such actions at the moment. Our personnel excel in everything, without exception.”

While Russia was unable to unseat Zelensky in 2022, it currently occupies around 20% of Ukrainian territory, and the UN has accused Russian authorities of committing crimes against humanity against Ukrainian civilians.

Igor Girkin, a jailed former commander of Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, lamented that the Maduro operation represented “another slap to our reputation.”

“The U.S. demonstrated how a major power should respond to emerging threats before they escalate into serious challenges,” Girkin opined.

Despite Caracas having been Russia’s chief ally in South America for years and the signing of a strategic partnership between Putin and Maduro in May 2025, Moscow remained passive as the Venezuelan leader was taken to New York to face criminal allegations.

“Another nation relying on Russia’s support has been left hanging,” Girkin remarked, likely alluding to the ousted Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad of Syria. “Of course, being mired in the bloody mess of Ukraine, we can hardly manage anything else, let alone aid Venezuela from across the globe, right under the Americans’ noses.”