Contents tagged with Syria

  • Russian diplomats and troops flee Damascus amid Syrian opposition offensive

    Amid escalating tensions in Syria, Russian diplomats and military forces are reportedly abandoning their positions in Damascus, leaving behind an array of weapons and equipment, reports the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense. The situation for Russian forces has been deteriorating, with initial reports of urban combat emerging from Hama, Homs, and As-Suwayda.

    Ukrainian Intelligence sources report that Russian military contingents have evacuated from Hama to the …

  • Russian military leadership shake-up: Lieutenant General Sergey Kisel relieved of duties in Syria

    Lieutenant General Sergey Kisel, the commander of Russian forces in Syria, has reportedly been relieved of his duties, according to the war correspondent Rybar and other Russian war channels.

    There is no official confirmation of this information yet. Z-sources suggest that Colonel General Chaiko may have replaced him. Kisel was previously assigned to Syria following the failure of the 1st Guards Tank Army in the initial phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian channels are …

  • Rebel offensive in Syria gains ground as Russian military presence diminishes

    Rebel forces have launched a swift offensive in northern Syria this week, coinciding with Russia's reduced military presence in the region following the redeployment of former Wagner Group fighters to Africa, reports the news outlet Agenstvo.

    On November 27, Syrian armed groups commenced a large-scale attack on areas under government control. According to the American Institute for the Study of War, by Thursday, rebels had seized at least 19 villages. By Thursday evening, the rebels were just 1 …

  • Kyiv: Russia deploying Syrian mercenaries in 'meat grinder' assaults in Luhansk

    Syrian mercenaries sent by Russia to conduct what have been termed "meat grinder" assaults in the Luhansk region. Photo: GUR.

    War-ravaged Syria has become a primary source for Russia's recruitment of men for combat in Ukraine, as reported by the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine.

    These mercenaries are lured with promises of Russian passports and paid work, but few return home.

    The plight of Syrian mercenaries can be seen through the stories of Mohamed Mansur and …

  • Ukrainian Special Forces target Russian base in Syria, destroy key military assets

    A Ukrainian assault team hit Russian military positions on a base in Syria, an airfield that has been under Russian control since 2015 and frequently used for military purposes, including training and dispatching foreign mercenaries to Ukraine.

    In a complex operation by Ukrainian special forces at the end of July 2024, the elite squad launched a strike on Russian military positions in Syria, reports Kyiv Post, citing its sources.

    The news outlet claims to have obtained exclusive videos and …

  • Putin hosts Assad amid anniversary of Syrian-Russian diplomatic relations

    Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Kremlin's press service reports. As emphasized by the Syrian guest, his visit coincides with the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Russian Federation.

    "Honorable Mr. President, I am very glad to see you," Putin greeted Assad. "We have an opportunity to discuss the full spectrum of our relations. It has been a long time since we've met. I'm very …

  • Ukrainian intelligence: Russia actively recruiting Syrian mercenaries for war in Ukraine

    Around a thousand mercenaries have undergone training in Syria, before being granted Russian citizenship in Yakutia and dispatched to Ukraine, reports the Ukrainian military intelligence.

    The arrival of mercenaries from Syria to Yakutia for further deployment to Ukraine marks a concerning development. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (GUR MO) released a video showing Syrian trainees near Aleppo and the Kuweires airbase joyfully displaying Russian passports, …

  • Russia and Syria begin joint military exercises

    Today, Russian-Syrian joint exercises will begin in Syria.

    "The exercises will last six days. During these drills, the parties will work out joint actions of aircraft, air defense forces and electronic warfare in repelling air attacks, " Russian news agency TASS quotes the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria, Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov.

    Gurinov noted that during the day there were nine violations of Syrian airspace. According to him, the …

  • After unsuccessful rebellion Prigozhin loses all his investments in Syria

    "There are no more Wagner fighters in Syria," anonymous sources in the Syrian government told Russian news agency Russia Today. According to them, all Wagner activities have also been terminated in Syria.

    Syrian officials claim that now in the territories controlled by Damascus, only large Russian state-owned companies and units of the Russian regular army operate. Their main base is at the Khmeimim airport. Russia Today notes that Russian investigators interrogated the military in Khmeimim, …

  • Kremlin: war in Ukraine did not impact number of Russian troops and weapons in Syria

    Moscow has not reduced the number of troops in Syria because of the war in Ukraine, said the special representative of the Russian president for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev .

    "No, it did not decrease," Lavrentyev said in an interview with RIA Novosti, speaking about the number of Russian troops. “If someone thinks that there has been some decrease in the number of troops, I want to assure you that this is not the case both in terms of the number of equipment that is stationed there, air …