US Destroys Russian-Supplied Buk-M2E Missile System in Venezuela Airstrike

On January 3, 2026, US forces destroyed a Russian-supplied Buk-M2E surface-to-air missile system stationed at La Carlota airbase in Caracas, Venezuela. The strike was part of a broader operation that targeted key military infrastructure in the Venezuelan capital.

According to Clash Report, which published visual evidence of the destroyed system, the Buk-M2E was deployed to protect strategic sites around Caracas. Venezuela reportedly possesses at least two battalions of this air defense system, with the most recent deliveries occurring in the fall of 2025.

The Buk-M2E, designated 9K317E, is equipped with 9M317E missiles and can simultaneously engage up to 24 aerial targets at distances of up to 20 kilometers.

The Venezuelan configuration includes the 9S510E command post, 9S18M1E target acquisition radar, and 9A316E transporter-launcher units, mounted on Belarusian MZKT-69221 6×6 chassis.

Clash Report noted that in October 2025, Venezuela began deploying these systems in response to US bomber flights near its coastline. Additional units were positioned in the coastal city of La Guaira, located just north of the capital.

Earlier, on January 3, US forces launched a military operation in Venezuela that led to the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Explosions were reported near the port of La Guaira, indicating armed activity in the vicinity of the capital, Caracas.

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