Venezuela has opened the first Kalashnikov ammunition plant in the Americas, reflecting its ongoing defense ties with Russia. Located in Maracay, about an hour west of the capital, Caracas, the facility’s first four production lines are already manufacturing 7.62×39 mm cartridges for AK-103 assault rifles, as announced by the Russian state-owned company, Rostec.
Two of the operational lines produce steel-core rounds, while the other two turn out tracer bullets and blank cartridges. Rostec projects that the plant will eventually manufacture up to 70 million cartridges annually, significantly bolstering Venezuela’s domestic munitions supply and reducing its reliance on imports.
The Kalashnikov ammunition plant will produce rounds for Venezuela’s police and army
Construction of the factory was undertaken by Rosoboronexport, the Kremlin’s weapons export agency. It takes place within the grounds of the Venezuelan state-owned arms maker, CAVIM. In addition to assembly halls, the complex includes firing ranges and storage bunkers.
Rostec executive Oleg Yevtushenko stated that additional production units will soon be available, facilitating a full cycle of ammunition and assault rifle manufacturing for Venezuela’s military, police, and other security forces.
The project has its roots in a geopolitical initiative of the late President Hugo Chávez. Despite nearly two decades of delay, which were attributed to technical challenges and Western sanctions, Chávez’s vision has at last become a reality amid deepening ties between Caracas and Moscow.
In May, Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Vladimir Putin signed a new strategic cooperation agreement while the former was in Moscow. This is one of more than 30 treaties signed since 2005, covering defense, energy, and trade.
Alex Saab conducted a quality control check on the plant
Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, and Industry and National Production Minister Alex Saab, recently toured the nearly completed plant, conducting final quality control tests on its ammunition. The inaugurations come as Russia’s war in Ukraine has heightened global scrutiny of arms transfers, and both Venezuela and Russia remain under harsh sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union.
Venezuela has steadily expanded its Russian arsenal since 2006, acquiring Sukhoi fighter jets, Mi-17 helicopters, and hundreds of thousands of small arms. In 2023, Caracas opened a multipurpose helicopter maintenance center in Portuguesa state following a 17-year delay. The new ammunition factory was among the key defense projects discussed during Maduro’s visit to Moscow.
Russia is completing its ammunition plant in 🇻🇪 #Venezuela — with capacity to produce up to 70 million Russia’s Kalashnikov cartridges annually. That’s nearly 200,000 rounds per day — enough to supply a mid-sized army nonstop. Amid sanctions and domestic economic downturn, Moscow… pic.twitter.com/KXkDKQTlVl
— Kyrylo Shevchenko (@KShevchenkoReal) July 4, 2025
Beyond military hardware, the Russia-Venezuela partnership now spans energy diplomacy, with joint initiatives in OPEC and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, cooperative oil field development, and coordinated resistance to Western economic pressure. In Caracas, a newly unveiled monument honoring Soviet soldiers reflects the political solidarity that underpins these ventures.
While analysts note that the plant will strengthen Venezuela’s defense autonomy, critics contend it risks drawing the country further into Russia’s orbit at a time when Caracas faces severe economic and humanitarian challenges. Nevertheless, for the Maduro government, the Maracay factory fulfills a long-cherished promise to turn Venezuela into a self-sufficient arms producer.
