Why Russia’s fearsome arsenal fell flat in Venezuela during US Maduro raid

WASHINGTON – Venezuela’s advanced, Russian-made air defence systems were not even hooked up to radar when US helicopters swooped in to

snatch President Nicolas Maduro

, US officials said, rendering Venezuelan airspace surprisingly unprotected long before the Pentagon launched its attack.

The vaunted Russian-made S-300 and Buk-M2 air defence systems were supposed to be a potent symbol of the close ties between Venezuela and Russia, two rivals of the US. Their alliance appeared to give Russia a growing foothold in the Western Hemisphere.