Russian intervention in Syria 78 months on | Marked drop in Russian operations in Syria with only six airstrikes on “de-escalation zone” and five joint patrols with Turkey in NE Syria
At a time when Russia’s plans are proceeding with their 78th consecutive month of involvement in the Syrian crisis, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored and tracked the recent developments during the sixth month of the seventh year of the Russian intervention in Syria. These key developments can be summarized regionally as follows:
North-west Syria
“Putin-Erdogan” area had seen a noticeable decline in Russian aerial operations, as the Syrian Observatory documented six airstrikes by Russian fighter jets on the “de-escalation zone.” However, no causalities were reported. Further details of these airstrikes are as follows:
March 14: Russian fighter jets fired two air-to-air missiles that blew up in the airspace of Shinan and Bazabour towns which host a Turkish military post south of Jabal Al-Arba’in in the southern countryside of Idlib.
March 28: A Russian fighter jet loaded with several vacuum missiles executed four airstrikes on the outskirts of Maarat Al-Naasan town in the northern countryside of Idlib. No casualties were reported.
Syrian desert
In the 78th month of Russian military operations in Syria, SOHR activists document the death of nine ISIS members and injury of 17 others in more than 270 Russian airstrikes on their positions in the Syrian desert, mostly killed in Al-Raqqah desert, Deir Ezzor, Homs and Aleppo-Hama-Al-Raqqah triangle.
North-east Syria
In the past month, Russian and Turkish forces conducted five joint patrols, four of which took place in the countryside of Ain Al-Arab (Kobani) near the Syria-Turkey border in Aleppo province on the 28th of February and the 7th, 14th and 28th of March, while the last patrol was run on March 10 in Darbasiyah countryside near the Syria-Turkey border in Al-Hasakah province.
As the months pass, the Syrians suffer the scourge of the Russian intervention, which seems to resemble a kind of revenge and retaliation against Syrians for protesting against the regime that committed the worst violations against its own people. At a time when the map of alliances and power balances is changing, Russia has become the ultimate winner, succeeding in helping the Syrian regime regaining control over about two-thirds of the country after losing control of most of its territory. Moscow used the pretext of “the war on terror” to commit massacres against civilians, and sponsored and struck agreements which soon after abandoned. Moscow and its war machine have spilt the blood of Syrians despite claiming to be a “political mediator” or “broker” that can deal with all parties to the conflict.
With all recent changes in the balance of powers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights renews its appeals to the international community to put pressure on Russia to stop its aggression against the Syrians, and to find a political solution to end the Syrian crisis that completed its tenth year.
