By Abdul Salam Haj Bakri
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian rregime supporters in coastal Latakia city have been dismayed by the terrible noise made by Russian planes while taking off and landing in Hmeimim airbase. Residents also complained that the fighter jets fly low over cities and towns and breaking the sound wall which causes a deafening bang.
Resentment is growing among pro-regime supporters regarding the launch of long-range missiles from Russian warships anchored in Tartus port.
Residents’ resentment appears at a time the Russian military is escalating its operations on the ground in Syria. Mohammed Saheli, Latakia’s Media Network, reported that over 250 Russian aircrafts have taken off and landed in Khmeimim airbase over the past ten days. In addition, the Russian military has increased its daily launching of long-range missiles from Russian ships.
Russia’s increased military efforts focus on stopping the opposition factions’ advance in the countryside of Hama, and preventing the factions in southern Damascus from reaching the supporting villages of Jobar, al-Qabun, and Barzah. Some of the missiles were also directed at targets in Idlib and Latakia’s countryside close to the Turkish border.
According to observers, the Russian military escalation is a punishment for the opposition factions for refusing to participate in the Astana meeting last month. The escalation also aims to bolster al-Assad's position in any future negotiations. The support comes after a regime delegation attended the Geneva 5 meeting following the regime suffering defeats on the ground and the loss of important sites in Damascus and northern Hama.
Russian strategies are not exclusively directed at Syrian opposition factions but also in this instance at Turkey. Russia blames Turkey for encouraging Syrian opposition factions to not attend the last Astana meeting or for not pressuring these factions to attend as it had in the previous two occasions.
Activists recorded Russian aircrafts violating Turkish airspace several times, especially in the border region of Latakia and Idlib. Russian fighter jets also launched rockets from Turkish airspace on internally displaced camps in Idlib’s western countryside resulting in dozens of casualties.
The Russian escalation is also represented in Russia establishing a new military base in Afrin, north western Syria, which is controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units. The move is a new provocation for Syrians and Turks.
Russia is exploiting the opaque American position towards Bashar al-Assad's regime, as well as the cooling of relations between America and Turkey to impose more hegemony and control over Syrian territory in both regime and Kurdish-controlled areas. It is seeking to impose an extensive Russian presence ahead of any future power sharing plan in Syria.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian rregime supporters in coastal Latakia city have been dismayed by the terrible noise made by Russian planes while taking off and landing in Hmeimim airbase. Residents also complained that the fighter jets fly low over cities and towns and breaking the sound wall which causes a deafening bang.
Resentment is growing among pro-regime supporters regarding the launch of long-range missiles from Russian warships anchored in Tartus port.
Residents’ resentment appears at a time the Russian military is escalating its operations on the ground in Syria. Mohammed Saheli, Latakia’s Media Network, reported that over 250 Russian aircrafts have taken off and landed in Khmeimim airbase over the past ten days. In addition, the Russian military has increased its daily launching of long-range missiles from Russian ships.
Russia’s increased military efforts focus on stopping the opposition factions’ advance in the countryside of Hama, and preventing the factions in southern Damascus from reaching the supporting villages of Jobar, al-Qabun, and Barzah. Some of the missiles were also directed at targets in Idlib and Latakia’s countryside close to the Turkish border.
According to observers, the Russian military escalation is a punishment for the opposition factions for refusing to participate in the Astana meeting last month. The escalation also aims to bolster al-Assad's position in any future negotiations. The support comes after a regime delegation attended the Geneva 5 meeting following the regime suffering defeats on the ground and the loss of important sites in Damascus and northern Hama.
Russian strategies are not exclusively directed at Syrian opposition factions but also in this instance at Turkey. Russia blames Turkey for encouraging Syrian opposition factions to not attend the last Astana meeting or for not pressuring these factions to attend as it had in the previous two occasions.
Activists recorded Russian aircrafts violating Turkish airspace several times, especially in the border region of Latakia and Idlib. Russian fighter jets also launched rockets from Turkish airspace on internally displaced camps in Idlib’s western countryside resulting in dozens of casualties.
The Russian escalation is also represented in Russia establishing a new military base in Afrin, north western Syria, which is controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units. The move is a new provocation for Syrians and Turks.
Russia is exploiting the opaque American position towards Bashar al-Assad's regime, as well as the cooling of relations between America and Turkey to impose more hegemony and control over Syrian territory in both regime and Kurdish-controlled areas. It is seeking to impose an extensive Russian presence ahead of any future power sharing plan in Syria.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.