Contents tagged with Syrian Conflict

  • Putin’s invitation to foreign minister’s wedding draws criticism in Austria

    Austria has criticized the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to the wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl. The Russian president’s visit “damages” Austria, Austrian political scientist Gerhard Mangott told the German Press Agency in an interview.

    Mangott believes that the upcoming visit will cause people to suspect that Austria is “Russia’s Trojan horse in the EU”. The political scientist also says that Putin is being given an opportunity to demonstrate that …

  • Russian military repel another drone attack on Khmeimim Air Base in Syria

    The Russian military shot down five drones approaching the Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on its Facebook page.

    According to the Ministry of Defense, militants launched drones from the de-escalation zone in the Idlib province. The Russian military destroyed them at a distance from the air base. There were no casualties and no material damage.

    During the same day, Syria recorded 25 shooting attacks on the government troops. As a result, three Syrian …

  • Russia displeased the US disclosed letter sent to Washington regarding restoration of Syria

    The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Valery Gerasimov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, sent a letter to US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford via a confidential communication channel in July, reported RBC news agency with a reference to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

    "It is disappointing that the American side is unable to comply with our agreement that stipulates that the content of communication can only be disclosed with the consent of both sides, …

  • Syria claims it shot down Israeli drone over Damascus

    The national news agency SANA reported that Syrian armed forces spotted two hostile air targets just west of the country’s capital of Damascus and shot them down. SANA did not say to whom the aircraft belonged.

    Meanwhile, RIA Novosti reported, citing a Syrian field commander, that targets were Israeli reconnaissance drones. He confirmed that the drones were shot down by Syrian Air Defense Forces.

    Al Masdar news agency reports, with a reference to a source within the Syrian army, that the …

  • Russia: Only Syrian troops will be stationed on the border with Israel

    The border with Israel will be controlled exclusively by the Syrian army, says the Russian ambassador to Tel-Aviv Anatoly Viktorov.

    The diplomat discussed agreements reached prior to the movement of Syrian government troops into the southwest of the country. He claimed that both sides agreed that “on the other side of the border there will only be Syrian armed forces.”

    Additionally, he emphasized that Russia’s priority is “maintaining the security of the State of Israel,” adding that “no non- …

  • Russia: Iran’s presence in Syria is completely legitimate

    Russia cannot force Iranian armed forces to leave Syrian territory, because their presence there is legitimate and fully conforms to international law, said the Russian ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov.

    Israel has consistently accused Iranian authorities of intending to create a hostile foothold on their borders and demands the withdrawal of Iranian troops from Syrian territory.

    “Iran’s presence in Syria is completely legitimate according to the principles of the UN Charter. We can speak …

  • Russia announces return of another 200 military police servicemen from Syria

    About 200 military police serviceman have returned from Syria, stated the Russian Ministry of Defense as quoted by RBC news agency.

    According to the Ministry, the servicemen were brought to the Mozdok aerodrome in North Ossetia by Il-76 military transport aircraft from the Russian Aerospace Forces. The Russian Defense Ministry thanked the Command and personnel of the military police for their professionalism and courage in protecting civilian facilities and providing escorts for humanitarian …

  • Ukrainian Security Service: More than 180 Russian mercenaries killed or wounded in Syria in February

    During the offensive in Syria in February 2018, at least 80 mercenaries from the so-called Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) were killed and more than 100 were wounded, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) posted on Facebook.

    “The SBU has established the identity of 206 Wagner PMC mercenaries who participated directly in the so-called ‘Prigozhin offensive’. The documents in our possession prove that at least 80 mercenaries died and more than 100 received wounds of various levels of …

  • Assad announces long term Russian military presence in Syria

    In an interview with the Russian media, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reported that the Russian military presence in Syria is long term and necessary for more than just carrying out the fight against terrorism, TASS reports.

    He stated that Moscow and Damascus have reached an agreement on the status of the Khmeimim Air Base, which will be in effect “for another 40 years”.

    “If the Russian Army came here solely for the purpose of combatting terrorism—then why would we sign an agreement to …

  • Russian Defense Ministry: Israel has destroyed ISIS positions in Syria

    An Israeli strike on July 25 in Syria has destroyed ISIS militants and missile launch sites, the Russian Defense Ministry told journalists Thursday.

    According to authorities, at around 9:30 pm Moscow time a group of ISIS militants, “in an attempt to provoke an Israeli attack on Syrian army positions, drew artillery fire from the Israeli forces stationed near the population centers of Nafakh and Al-Shajara (Quneitra province)."

    “A targeted counterattack by Israeli air forces and artillery …