Russia, regime conduct air-ground exercises east of Aleppo

Zaman al-Wasl learned that the Russian forces on Wednesday have started ground-air military exercises  in partnership with the regime forces in the countryside of Aleppo, northern Syria.

A local observatory of air traffic and regime forces' movements told Zaman al-Wasl that the Russia-backed 25th Division of Special Tasks" began intensive ground military exercises in partnership with some formations of the regime forces, under Russian supervision.

Heavy, medium and light weapons were used in military exercises with live ammunition, in the al-Khafsa area in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, close to the lines of contact with the "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF) in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

The source confirmed that Russian warplanes took off from the coastal "Hmeimim" base (the largest Russian military base in Syria), in addition to "LAM-39" warplanes and helicopters belonging to the regime forces that took off from Kuweires Airport in the eastern countryside of Aleppo. Training also began. Air, in order to deal with drones, as the exercises include only air-to-air missiles.

The source indicated that the Russian air exercises with the regime forces came after the targeting of several drones (of unknown affiliation) during the past few weeks, military sites of the regime forces in the countryside of Latakia governorate, including the city of Qardaha, the birthplace of the regime, Bashar al-Assad, and other sites in the Sahl al-Ghab area and the  northwestern countryside of Hama.

The head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria said, during press statements reported by Russian media, that joint maneuvers of the Russian-Syrian Air Force and Air Defense will start in Syria on July 5 and will last for six days, without specifying the location of the exercises.