Two raids, two very different results…

Two helicopter raids. Same concept. Completely different results.

This is why.

In February 2022 at Hostomel, Russia launched a heliborne assault based on assumptions, not intelligence. Ukrainian air defenses were underestimated. Enemy strength was misjudged. Flight routes were… pic.twitter.com/4mCxizxi2Y

— (T.C.A.G.) Commander Brad Crawford (@evo1tactical) January 4, 2026

Two helicopter raids. Same concept. Completely different results. This is why.

In February 2022 at Hostomel, Russia launched a heliborne assault based on assumptions, not intelligence. Ukrainian air defenses were underestimated. Enemy strength was misjudged. Flight routes were predictable. Ground forces were not synchronized. Resupply and reinforcement were an afterthought. Once the helicopters landed, reality hit. The objective was defended. Fires were uncoordinated. Command and control broke down. The operation unraveled fast. That was not bravery failing. That was planning failing. Now look at January 2026 in Venezuela. Before a single helicopter lifted off, intelligence was already doing the heavy lifting. Signals, imagery, and human sources confirmed targets, defenses, and response timelines. Air cover was integrated. Routes were selected to reduce exposure. Contingencies were rehearsed. Extraction was planned before insertion ever happened. That is the difference.

The United States does not succeed because of helicopters or hardware. It succeeds because intelligence drives planning, and planning drives execution. Information is fused, not guessed. Decisions are rehearsed, not improvised. When conditions change, the system adapts instead of collapsing. Hostomel showed what happens when doctrine ignores reality. Venezuela showed what happens when intelligence, planning, and operational support are treated as decisive weapons. This matters far beyond one raid. It is why Russian operations keep failing. And it is why Ukraine succeeds when it is properly supported. War is not about bold ideas. It is about preparation. Preparation decides who walks away.