Eurasia Press & News
Russia guards an Iranian military base, BulgarianMilitary.com has learned, citing Russia’s Aviapro news agency. The published material is about the Syrian airport in Deir Ez-Zor, which is repeatedly used by the Iranian military.
Journalists from the Russian news agency Aviapro claim that Russians spotted a Kasta-2E2 radar system at the airport only days before the New Year. Military experts say Russian forces use such a radar system to intercept small aircraft and planes/drones moving under the radar signature.
According to sources in the Russian news agency, it is unknown whether the Syrian or Iranian military has the radar system at its disposal. That is why they suggest that this is a radar currently in service in the Russian army. Such actions are practice and are not new to Russia’s policy in Syria. In recent years, we have witnessed the Syrian and Iranian military’s assistance through the Russian army’s direct intervention with force or equipment.
BulgarianMilitary.com reminds you that the mentioned airport has been the subject of dozens of Israeli attacks in the last 12 months. The strikes were fired from long-range missiles or attacking drones. Apparently, in the new year, the Syrian government has decided to strengthen and strengthen the radar influence around the airport to reverse future similar attacks.
Military analysts told the Russian news agency that such an action was a clear signal that Russia was planning to increase its military presence in the region. According to them, Moscow will try to control air traffic around the airport and the Syrian republic’s border territory.
BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that according to an official statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Ministry of Defense on December 12, 2020, Moscow has decided and sent its troops to the Golan Heights. Russian troops will patrol with Syrian soldiers directly on the Bravo Line, which currently separates Syrian and Israeli troops in the region.
One of the Russian brigades’ commanders told TASS that joint exercises are currently being held between the Russian and Syrian military. The primary purpose of the practices is evacuation training, tactical reinforcements, and repulsed by enemy attacks. “Our mission is to monitor the ceasefire, show the Russian military presence and protect the Russian military,” he said.
After some time ago, the Syrian military managed to drive out several terrorist armed groups loyal to Turkey. The Russian military police took control of the patrol. Russia currently has five observation and reconnaissance military posts in the area, monitored by UN peacekeepers.
It is unclear how Israel will react to Russian actions in the region and whether this will not affect future Israeli attacks. Israel continues to claim that it is in this area of Syria that Iranian forces and their supporters are operating. However, Russia has decided to send troops to the place, aiming to prove the truth of Israeli allegations. The presence of Russian forces ensures that there will be no future armed clashes in the region.
War in Syria
In February, Turkey lost at least 62 troops killed in Syria, nearly 100 soldiers were wounded, dozens of Turkish armored vehicles were destroyed and more than ten drones, including drone, were shot down. Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of involvement in the deaths of Turkish soldiers, Russia rejects these allegations.
In early March, the presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, concluded an agreement according to which a ceasefire came into force in the Idlib de-escalation zone. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later said that if the US and Turkish military did not leave the country, Damascus would be able to use force.
The reason for the Russian-Turkish negotiations was a sharp aggravation of the situation in Idlib, where in January a large-scale offensive by the Syrian army against the positions of the armed opposition and terrorists began.
Government forces recaptured nearly half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind a number of Turkish observation posts. After that, Ankara sharply increased its military contingent in the region and launched the operation “Spring Shield” to push the Syrian troops. Turkey is also supported by militants loyal to it.
