Kathrine Frich
Global arms markets are shifting in unexpected ways as long-standing political alliances crumble.
Old weapons stored halfway across the world can suddenly become the most valuable assets in a distant conflict.
Now, a massive stockpile in Latin America is making authorities in Moscow incredibly nervous.
A sudden shift
Russia is deeply worried about its massive stockpile of hardware sitting in South America. Officials fear that a changing political landscape could soon give Kiev direct access to these valuable weapons.
Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, raised the alarm during a high-profile meeting with Venezuelan officials on Wednesday. He openly warned his counterpart, Jose Adelino Ornelas Ferreira, against cutting deals with Western nations.
According to a report by Euractiv, Shoigu claimed that Western agents are actively trying to pull Latin American countries into complex arms supply schemes. He reminded everyone that Caracas still holds a staggering amount of Soviet-designed equipment.
Broken alliances
For decades, Moscow acted as the main backer for the local regime under Nicolas Maduro. They supplied the country with advanced anti-ship missiles, heavy armor, and deep technical training that formed the core of the local military.
Everything changed following the recent removal of Maduro and the political rise of Delcy Rodriguez. The new leadership quickly abandoned their old anti-Western stance to focus heavily on repairing fractured relations with Washington.
Military expert Aleksander Kovalenko told Euractiv that the idea of transferring these weapons to Europe is now a very realistic scenario. The field gear includes T-72 tanks, combat vehicles, and heavy artillery.
Battlefield value
Kovalenko noted that this old machinery remains highly useful on the front lines due to shared Soviet standards. The ongoing ammunition shortages make these stockpiles even more attractive to international brokers.
The country also possesses advanced S-300 air defence systems, though Digi24 noted their performance was largely ineffective during a US military intervention last January.
Pieter Wezeman from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute expressed some skepticism about the plan. He warned that any transfer would require intense, sustained pressure from Washington.
That pressure might not come easily, especially given the current hesitation surrounding foreign military aid packages. Yet, if the new government decides to buy modern Western gear, the path clears for the old Russian weapons to flow straight to Europe.
Sources: Euractiv, Digi24
