Syrian, Russian warplanes conduct joint drill ahead of Turkish incursion

The air forces of Russia and Syria conducted a joint drill over the war-torn country Tuesday, the first since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began more than three months ago, Syria’s defence ministry said.

The ministry said two Russian SU-35 fighter jets and six Syrian MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft simulated facing “hostile” warplanes and drones. Syrian pilots dealt with them with cover and support from the Russian warplanes, it said.

“All illusive targets were monitored and completely destroyed while aerial targets were hit at night for the first time,” the Syrian defense ministry said in a statement. It also released a video of the warplanes which it said took part in the drill.

The announcement came ahead of an expected Turkish incursion and a few hours after Syrian state television reported that Israeli missiles targeted Syrian army positions south of the capital of Damascus, causing material damage but no casualties.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while flying over Syria’s Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before midnight Monday. It added that Syrian air defences shot down most of the missiles.

Russia became involved militarily in Syria in September 2015 helping to tip the balance of power in favour of President Bashar Assad’s forces in the 11-year conflict that has killed half a million people.

The Syrian defence ministry said that during Tuesday’s drill, the Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out joint patrols along the Golan Heights and other parts of southern Syria.

The last such joint exercise was conducted a week before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. In mid-February, the Russian military deployed long-range nuclear-capable bombers and fighter jets carrying state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles to Syria for massive naval drills in the Mediterranean Sea.

Russia, Syria boosting troops

Russia and Syrian government forces have also  been bolstered in northern Syria where Turkey may soon launch an offensive against Kurdish fighters, Turkish and rebel Syrian officials said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said two weeks ago that Turkey would launch new military operations in Syria to extend 30-kilometre deep “safe zones” along the border, aiming at the Tal Rifaat and Manbij regions and other areas further east.

Russia, which warned at the weekend against military escalation in northern Syria, has sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in Ankara on Wednesday.

The two countries have close ties and Ankara has sought to mediate talks over Russia’s war in Ukraine, but their support for opposing sides in Syria may test President Vladimir Putin’s relations with the only NATO member not to impose sanctions on Moscow over the invasion.

The stakes are also high for Erdogan. Without at least tacit approval from Russia, President Bashar al-Assad’s still  powerful ally in the Syria conflict, a Turkish offensive would carry additional risk of casualties. Russia and Turkey have checked each other’s military ambitions at various points in Syria’s war, at times bringing them close to direct confrontation.

There have not yet been signs of a significant Turkish military build-up in the border region, but reports of rocket and artillery exchanges have become more frequent in the past two weeks.

Any Turkish operation would attack the Kurdish YPG militia, a key part of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which control large parts of north Syria and are regarded by Washington as an important ally against Islamic State. Ankara sees the YPG as a terrorist group and extension of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

A spokesman for the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) said Russia was reinforcing positions near Tal Rifaat, Manbij, the southern outskirts of Kobani and Ain Issa, all towns within 40 kilometres of the Turkish border.

“Since the announcement of the operation, the Syrian regime and its Iranian militias have mobilised and (are) sending reinforcements to the YPG,” Major Youssef Hammoud told Reuters.

Their intelligence had spotted Russian helicopters landing at an air base close to Tal Rifaat, he added.

Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency cited local sources on Saturday as saying Russia was making deployments in north Syria to “consolidate its control”, flying reconnaissance flights over Tal Rifaat and setting up Pantsir-S1 air defence systems in Qamishli, a border town nearly 400 kilometres further east.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi told Reuters on Sunday Damascus should use its air defence systems against Turkish planes and his forces were “open” to working with Syrian troops to fight off Turkey, but added there was no need to send more forces.

Talks with Lavrov

Ankara says it must act because Washington and Moscow broke promises to push the YPG 30 kilomteres from the border after a 2019 Turkish offensive. With both powers seeking Turkey’s support over Ukraine, the conflict may offer it a degree of leverage.

Washington, whose backing for the SDF has long been a source of strain in ties with Turkey, has voiced concern, saying any new operation would put at risk US troops, which have a presence in Syria and undermine regional stability.

Russia also said last week it hoped Turkey “refrains from actions which could lead to a dangerous deterioration of the already difficult situation in Syria”.

A senior Turkish official said Lavrov would be asked about intelligence that he said pointed to Syrian government and Iran-backed forces either arriving at Tal Rifaat or heading there.

“Turkey will do this operation one way or another,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Asked whether Russia was strengthening positions in northern Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was the Syrian armed forces that “are reinforcing, to a greater or lesser extent, certain facilities on their territory.”

The Syrian government does not comment on troop movements, but the pro-government newspaper al-Watan on Monday cited sources in northern Raqqa, near the Turkish border, as saying Syrian troops, tanks and heavy weaponry deployed over the weekend in response to Turkish moves.

The Turkish official and the SNA’s Hammoud said attacks from SDF-controlled areas against those under Turkish and SNA control had increased. Hammoud said Turkish and SNA forces were responding.