Russian general stuck in Venezuela after losing Kherson: Moscow refused to evacuate him

Russian Colonel General Oleg Makarevich, who was sent to Venezuela after the failure of the Dnipro group of troops in the Kherson sector and the loss of Kherson, has been unable to leave the country for several months.

This was reported by Ukrainian military and political observer Oleksandr Kovalenko.

According to him, in November and December, the general repeatedly asked to be allowed to leave Venezuela. He tried to leave the country against the backdrop of possible US actions, fearing the risk of detention or transfer to Ukraine. However, Moscow has been denying him permission to leave all along.

After the recent incident in Caracas, Makarevich reportedly requested an urgent evacuation from Venezuela. However, the Russian response was again negative.

Currently, there are about 120 Russian mercenaries under the command of the colonel general in Venezuela. Their main task is to train the Venezuelan military, in particular, to teach them how to operate drones, as well as to instruct special forces and personnel. Most of the Russian citizens are concentrated in the country's capital, Caracas.

In addition, Russian mercenaries, according to the observer, carry out intelligence for Venezuela, using wider technical and agent capabilities than local security forces.

It is noted that a significant number of these individuals took part in the war against Ukraine and may be involved in war crimes, including as part of the Wagner PMC.

Last year, in November, the SBU documented evidence against Major General Oleksandr Kornev, commander of the 7th Air Assault (Mountain) Division of the Southern Military District of Russia, who was involved in the occupation of Kherson region at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

On the day the full-scale aggression began, units of this division invaded the Kherson region from the temporarily occupied Crimea. After seizing the region, Russian troops effectively blockaded the region, causing a humanitarian crisis, and launched large-scale repressions against the civilian population. As a result of these actions, thousands of civilians, including women and children, were killed and injured.

Анна Бальчінос