A privately-owned Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane known to have previously transported weapons for Russian military and Wagner Group mercenary operations in Africa landed in Caracas over the weekend, DefenseNews reports while noting the probably-not-coincidental timing given convicted felon President Trump’s increasing threats of action against Putin-allied dictator Nicolas Maduro’s regime. The plane, which took off from Moscow on Friday, landed in Venezuela’s capital after two days of stops in Armenia, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, and Mauritania before crossing the Atlantic.
Whether these stops had been pickups, deliveries, or both – as well as what it was carrying – is unknown. DefenseNews however notes that the route was definitely one that would have avoided NATO/NATO-allied airspace or possible customs/cargo inspections in not-as-corrupt countries.
Also not in question is that the plane’s owner/operator, Aviacon Zitotrans, is under sanctions by the United States, Canada, and Ukraine for its ties to the Russian military and the Wagner Group.