Russian Pundits, Military Bloggers, Are Angry: Maduro’s Capture Highlights Failed Zelensky Ouster

Earlier we featured the headline Chinese Social Media Explodes: US Invasion Of Venezuela A ‘Template’ For Move On Taiwan – which featured Chinese Weibo users complaining that if Washington can quickly invade and remove the leader of a ‘nuisance’ government in its own backyard, then China can forcibly reunite Taiwan.

There is a growing number of pro-Kremlin figures and Russian military bloggers now saying something very parallel but related to Ukraine. They are upset that Russia has dragged its feet in directly moving against President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, and they want more muscular direct action against the ‘illegitimate’ leader (as Putin has frequently called him) or at least his top officials.

Among the most prominent Russian figures to draw this parallel is hardline nationalist Alexander Dugin, who tragically lost his daughter in a car-bombing executed by Ukrainian intelligence, who described the fast-moving events in Venezuela as “a critical and urgent challenge for Russia.”

“The capture of Maduro demonstrates that international law no longer exists – only the law of force applies,” he said, framing this as a call for Russia to begin moving faster in Ukraine “at an accelerated pace”.

“The war in Ukraine must under no circumstances be stopped – not before victory is achieved,” he argued on Telegram. Dugin explained stridently:

“Look at Venezuela. If we do not destroy them now, they will destroy us tomorrow - or even today. If necessary, we must be prepared to fight the United States as well. We may not be able to conquer them, but we will be able to defend ourselves.”

Another example is pro-Kremlin war correspondent Alexander Kots, who has over 500,000 followers on Telegram. He wrote:

“Judging by the footage published from Venezuela, U.S. forces encountered no resistance in the air or on the ground. I cannot imagine Russian helicopters operating freely over Kyiv. Ukraine had been preparing for a war with Russia for eight years, while Venezuela spent years putting on military parades.”

Kots then criticized, “Today, we are fighting an enemy that is formidable in its own right and enjoys unprecedented support…We tripped over our own rake in 2022” – and added: “But the world is still full of examples from which lessons can be learned.”

Starshe Eddy, which is a pro-war Telegram channel with around 600,000 followers, also heaped ample criticism on how Moscow leadership has executed the ‘special military operation’ – saying it should be more efficient in moving against top Ukrainian officials::

“Clearly, no one is tasking the military with abducting [Zelensky]. He is of far greater use where he is in his current role rather than in Lefortovo Prison [in Moscow]. That said, there are many lower-ranking figures whose elimination would bring prestige and acclaim.”

Another pundit, Alexander Kartavykh, said, “If you launch the next ‘special military operation’ without removing the military and political leadership and with naive ideas of brotherly nations in your head, you’re f***ing idiots and your descendants will curse you.”

-Banned opposition media

-Banned opposition parties

-Banned the right to collectively bargain

-Killed his own countrymen on behalf of NATO

-Runs one of the most corrupt governments in the world

Zelensky is everything they tell us Nicolas Maduro is. United States is the… pic.twitter.com/pe93wdxzFU

— Nick Cruse (@SocialistMMA) January 6, 2026