History repeats. The Spanish Republic before it fell transferred the last of its gold reserves to Stalin’s Russia. Today Venezuela is sending its gold to Putin’s Russia. Interesting phenomena.
Russia is just passing it on to China.
Russia is doing a lot of work for China these days. China has the money to pay.
My feeling is that the Russians are collecting cash payment for the military hardware and other support they have supplied to Venezuela just in case things go sour for Maduro.