Russian intervention in Syria 90 months on | Ongoing joint patrols with the Turks and almost-complete suspension of operations in Syrian desert, despite considerable escalation by ISIS
At a time when Russia’s plans are proceeding with their 90th consecutive month of involvement in the Syrian crisis, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has monitored and tracked the recent developments during the first month of the eighth year of the Russian intervention in Syria. This month has experienced subsiding activity by Russian forces in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Key developments can be summarized regionally as follows:
North-west Syria
In “Putin-Erdogan” area, SOHR activists documented no airstrikes by Russian fighter jets in the past month. However, SOHR sources reported on March 18 that a senior Russian officer arrived in Manbij countryside where he chose nearly 30 officers with military and combat experience of the 7th Division and took them with their materiel to Idlib frontlines, where they replaced officers of the 1st Division on those frontlines. This coincided with the escalating attacks by Hayyaat Tahrir Al-Sham on regime positions in “Putin-Erdogan” area.
North-east Syria
In the past month, Russian and Turkish forces conducted five joint patrols, three of which were in Ain Al-Arab countryside (Kobani) in Aleppo province and two in Al-Darbasiyyah in Al-Hasakah province. Here are further details:
- March 6: Russian military police conducted a joint patrol with Turkish forces in Kobani countryside. The patrol, which comprised eight vehicles, toured several villages in the region.
- March 9: Russian forces conducted a joint patrol with Turkish forces in the northern countryside of Al-Hasakah. The patrol, which comprised four Russian and four Turkish military vehicles escorted by two Russian helicopters, set off from Sherik village in the western countryside of Al-Derbasiyah and toured Delik, Salam Aleik, Qunaitrah, Qaramaniyah, Tel Kedish, Ghanamiyah, Kar Batli, Jadidah, Tel Tayri, Tel Karmah, Abu Jeradi, Khaski and Moudawrah in the south-eastern countryside of Al-Derbasiyah reaching “Kharzah, Buhairah and Khanki” in the western countryside of Amouda, before they return to the starting point.
- March 13: Russian military police and Turkish forces conducted a joint patrol in the western countryside of Ain Al-Arab (Kobani). The patrol, which comprised eight vehicles escorted by two Russian helicopters, set off from Ashmah village in western Kobani and toured the villages of Jarqali Fouqani, Qarran, Dikmidash, Kharkhuri, Boban, Jul Bek and Tel Sha’ir which is located nearly four kilometres to the west of Ain Al-Arab city. After that, the patrol returned towards the starting point, passing by Jabnah, Jarqali Fouqani, Mashku, Bindar, Qaraqwi Tahtani, Qoula, and Sosan.
- March 23: Russian and Turkish forces ran a joint patrol this morning in west Al-Darbasiyah countryside in northern countryside of Al-Hasakah. The patrol, which comprised eight military vehicles escorted by two Russian helicopters, set off from Sherik village and tours the villages of Dalik, Malak, Abbas, Aliyah, Zahr Al-Arab and the area of Al-Kesri checkpoint in the southern countryside of Abu Rasin, as well as Qayrawan, Ta’alak, Korkond, Barakah, Barkferi and Salam Alik before returning to the starting point. After the patrol had accomplished its mission, the Turkish vehicles returned to Turkish territory, while Russian armoured vehicles returned to the Russian airbase in Al-Qamishli.
- March 27: Russian military police and Turkish forces conducted a joint patrol in the western countryside of Ain Al-Arab (Kobani). The patrol, which comprised eight vehicles escorted by two Russian helicopters, set off from Ashmah village in western Kobani and toured the villages of Jarqali Fouqani, Jabnah, Bayadiyah and Zor Maghar, which is opposite Jarabulus city on the eastern bank of Euphrates river. After that, the patrol returned towards the starting point, passing by Jabnah, Bayadiyah, Mashku, Bindar, Qaraqwi Tahtani, Qoula, Sosan and the checkpoint of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) near the “broadcast centre” in the west of Ain Al-Arab city.
On the other hand, Russian forces ran a routine patrol on March 8, inspecting their military posts on the M4 highway, where a patrol of three armoured vehicles set off from Tel Tamr area in north-western Al-Hasakah, heading to Ain Issa base in northern Al-Raqqah.
Meanwhile, Russian forces brought in military reinforcement to their positions in north-east Syria in several batches, where SOHR activists reported seeing a Russian military convoy carrying several prefabricated rooms heading from Aleppo city towards areas in east of Euphrates on March 4. Russian forces use these rooms, which are fully equipped for temporary housing, for its non-settled military bases. Some of them are also used as outposts, watchtowers and sleeping rooms for members in military bases.
Similarly on March 18, Russian forces brought in new military reinforcement to their bases in Al-Sa’idiya in Manbij countryside in eastern Aleppo. According to reliable SOHR sources, the reinforcement, which comprised 40 anti-aircraft armoured vehicles, weapons, logistical supplies and closed boxes, would be distributed to Russian bases planned to be reinforced.
Also, on March 27, Russian forces brought new military reinforcements to their base in Sarin airport in Ain Al-Arab (Kobani) countryside in eastern Aleppo countryside, where the reinforcements comprise an advanced Russian “Buk” air-defence system, eight “Tushka” missiles and radars. Tushka missiles are considered ballistic weapons that have great destructive capacity.
Syrian desert
In the 90th month of Russian military operations in Syria, SOHR activists document “timid” aerial operations by Russian forces in the Syrian desert, despite the considerable escalation of bloody operations by ISIS which killed 27 civilians and 44 members of regime forces and their proxy militias.
Between the 30th of September 2015 and the 30th of March 2023, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 21,123 persons. The breakdown of fatalities is as follows:
- 8,697 civilians: 2,112 children under the age of eighteen, 1,321 females over the age of eighteen, 5,264 men and young people
- 6,201 ISIS members
- 6,225 fighters of rebel and Islamic Factions, Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamic Turkestani Party, and fighters of Arab and foreign nationalities.
SOHR sources have reported that Russia used “Thermite-type explosives” in their airstrikes, a substance composed of aluminium powder and iron oxide which causes burns as it continues to ignite for about 180 seconds; some bombs used by Russian jets on the Syrian territory were loaded with this substance.
It has been discovered that they are “RBK-500 ZAB 2.5 SM” cluster incendiary bombs each weighing about 500 kg (about 1100 pounds (ca. 499 kilograms)) and they were dropped by military aircraft. They carried anti-individuals and anti-vehicles small-sized bombs of the type (AO 2.5 RTM), loaded with 50 to 110 small-sized bombs stuffed with “Thermite”, which outpour out of it when they explode; the range of these anti-individuals and anti-vehicles bombs reaches 20 to 30 metres.
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 that were soon after abandoned. Moscow and its war machine have spilled 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 eleventh year.
