An apparent side-effect from the rising Ukraine tensions: Russian and Syrian pilots have begun conducting joint air patrols along the Golan Heights and Euphrates River, the Russian Defense ministry announced on Sunday, Jan. 24.
The mission’s route was defined as “running along the Golan Heights, the southern border, The Euphrates River and over northern Syria,” The statement added that “Russian pilots took off from the Hmeimim Air Base, while Syrians took off form the Seikal and Dumayr airfields outside Damascus.”
Taking part are Russian Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft and A-50 early warning and control aircraft, as well as Syria’s Russian-supplied MiG-23 and MiG-29 planes. The Ministry disclosed: “During the patrol mission, Syrian pilots controlled the airspace and provided fighter cover as Russian crews practiced attacks on ground targets.”
The Russian official added that this kind of joint mission will now take place on a regular basis.”
DEBKAfile’s military sources attribute to the Russians three motives for their latest tactic in Syria:
- To draw a line on the freedom of operation the US and Israel have hitherto exercised in Syrian airspace, especially by holding back information on when the joint Russia-Syria patrols are scheduled to take off.
- Russian A-50 aircraft (see photo) will gather up-to-date intelligence on Israel’s military disposition on the Golan and track American forces’ movements in northeastern Syria.
- Moscow would have an answer to the Assad regime’s long complaint that Russian S-300 and S-400 air defense systems are never used against Israeli air strikes over Syria.
Our sources note that Moscow has not notified Israel about the introduction of joint Russia-Syria air patrols through the joint liaison mechanism the two governments set up for Israel’s air operations over Syria.
Russia said to be conducting joint patrols of Syrian border airspace
Syria and Russia held joint military jet patrols of the airspace along Syria’s borders on Monday, including in the Golan Heights area, according to a Russian Defense Ministry statement reported by Interfax.
According to the report, Russia’s Defense Ministry said such joint patrols are expected to be a regular occurrence moving forward.
The news came amid tensions along the Russia-Ukraine border as Western powers scramble to counter an implied threat by Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade the neighboring country.
Putin is considered one of few allies of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and Russia is seen as using its presence in the war-torn country to gain a foothold in the Middle East.
Israel’s close relations with Russia and Putin are often seen as linked to the two countries’ close military coordination in Syria, in particular when the IDF carries out purported strikes on sites within Syria.
Russia joined Syria’s 10-year conflict in September 2015, when the Syrian military appeared close to collapse, and has since helped in tipping the balance of power in favor of Assad, whose forces now control much of the country. Hundreds of Russian troops are deployed across Syria and they also have a military air base along Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
Putin and Assad met in Moscow in September to discuss the cooperation between their military forces.
No comments:
Post a Comment