Russian forces in Syria face sabotage: Moscow urgently appeals to new Syrian leadership
Russian military forces in Syria find themselves becoming victims of sabotage. As a result, Russia has reached out to Syria with an urgent appeal for immediate measures to put an end to this crisis, reports Defense Express citing unnamed sources. Despite the fall of President Bashar Assad and the subsequent change in leadership, Russia maintains a strong military presence at the Khmeimim Airbase and shows no intention of withdrawing. However, the situation remains unstable, as unknown perpetrators consistently target them, damaging military assets and causing fatalities among Russian soldiers.
According to Defense Express, Russia's request for immediate action is directed at Syria's new leadership, specifically Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, to counteract sabotage attacks reportedly carried out by Ukrainian special services on Khmeimim Airbase. These appeals came in late April following a series of attacks on the base.
Ukrainian operations have successfully targeted critical radio communication nodes and power substations, and on April 28, a Russian IL-76 transport aircraft was fired upon by small arms, resulting in the confirmed deaths of two Russian service members whose documents later surfaced online. In a bid to protect its assets in Syria, Russia has pledged $5 million in humanitarian food assistance to Damascus through the UN World Food Program.
Earlier reports indicated tensions when Syrian forces hindered Russian attempts to transport missile containers for S-300 and S-400 systems out of the country via the port of Tartus, turning back the convoy.
Additionally, it's reported that Syria's new leader has demanded that Moscow extradite former Syrian President Bashar Assad, who fled to Russia following the rebels' victory.