MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. Venezuelan authorities did not issue orders to counter the US military operation, Russia’s ambassador to Caracas, Sergey Melik Bagdasarov, said.

"Electronic systems and weaponry are controlled by military personnel. They don’t fire without orders. That means no commands were issued," he stated in an interview with journalist Sergey Brilyov.

"There was tremendous tension here throughout October and November. Everyone was waiting for something to happen with the boats sinking and strikes carried out. Any military structure accumulates fatigue. When Christmas arrived, <...> there was a false sense of being off the hook. But that was not the case," the diplomat added.

On January 3, US President Donald Trump announced a military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by American forces. On January 5, the couple appeared before the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York, where they face charges of alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Both have pleaded not guilty. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on January 6. Meanwhile, US President Trump said that Washington would temporarily "run" Venezuela.