Activation of Russian S-400s in Syria Increases Threat to US Troops - General

The possible activation of Russian S-400 missile defenсe systems in Syria would pose an increased threat to American troops and US-led coalition forces, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, nominee to head US Central Command (CENTCOM), said during his confirmation hearing in the US Senate on Tuesday.

Russia has deployed S-400 mobile missile batteries at the Khmeimim Airbase in Syria but has not yet activated the defence systems.

The S-400 is the next-generation mobile defence system which can carry three different types of missiles capable of destroying a variety of aerial targets at short and extremely long ranges, from reconnaissance aircraft to ballistic missiles.

McKenzie also stressed that Washington would not seek to affect the Russian forces in the region while conducting operations against terrorists.

The US-led coalition of more than 70 countries is conducting military operations against the Daesh* terror group in Syria and Iraq. The coalition's operations in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the government of President Bashar Assad or the United Nations Security Council. Moreover, according to Damascus, the coalition killed a vast number of civilians during the campaign and used white phosphorus munitions, which are banned by the UN.

Sputnik

Breaking: Russia seizes Ukrainian naval ships that violated Russia’s border in Black Sea

All three vessels of the Ukrainian Navy, which violated the Russian state border, have been detained in the Black Sea, weapons were used to force them to stop, the Public Relations Center of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported.

"The Ukrainian Navy’s vessels the Berdyansk, the Nikopol and the Yany Kapu, which violated Russia’s state border this morning, made another attempt of committing illegal activities in Russia’s territorial sea at 19:00 Moscow time on November 25," the FSB said. 

"They did not respond to legitimate demands by the ships and boats of Russia’s FSB Border Guard Service escorting them to stop immediately and performed dangerous maneuvers."

According to the FSB, "weapons were used to force the Ukrainian warships to stop." As a result, all three vessels of the Ukrainian Navy were detained in Russia’s territorial waters in the Black Sea. "Three wounded military servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces received medical assistance," the FSB said, adding that there was no threat to their lives.

A criminal case has been initiated over violation of Russia’s state border.

The FSB stressed that Ukraine was aware of the procedure for warships’ passage through Russia’s territorial sea and Kerch-Yenikale Canal. "They have already used that procedure for innocent passage," it said.

The FSB’s border directorate for Crimea earlier reported that three Ukrainian warships had illegally crossed Russia’s state border in the Black Sea and entered Russia’s territorial waters performing dangerous maneuvers. Later on, the FSB said that two more Ukrainian warships had sailed off from Berdyansk to join the three vessels. However, they later turned back.

The FSB stressed that "before making such dangerous and irresponsible decisions, the Kiev leadership should have thought about possible consequences of its actions."

Russia’s Federal Security Service said it had irrefutable evidence of Kiev’s using the Ukrainian Navy to stage a provocation in the Black Sea and promised it would be made public soon.

Three Ukrainian Navy vessels, which violated Russia’s state border and were detained in the Black Sea are being delivered to the port of Kerch (a city in eastern Crimea), Anton Lozovoy, an officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) State Border Directorate for Crimea, said in a video commentary on Monday.

"All three vessels have been detained and are being delivered to the port of Kerch," he said.

According to Lozovoy, three Ukrainian military servicemen who sustained minor wounds have received medical care.

Militant training underway at US base in Syria's Al-Tanf - Russia

According to numerous witness accounts, militants are receiving training at the US military base near the Syrian city of Al-Tanf, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.

"In fact, under the excuse of fighting against the ISIL and - as we were told - in order to contain Iran, a big US military base was set up there - in a strategically important area adjacent to the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan, which is close to the highway connecting Baghdad and Damascus. And there, according to numerous witness accounts, militant training is underway," the Russian diplomat said.

TASS

Russian Deputy PM to visit Syria soon to hold Syrian-Russian Joint Governmental Committee

Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov announced on Thursday that the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov will head to Syria soon.

Bogdanov told Sputnik that co-chair of the Syrian-Russian Joint Governmental Committee, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov is scheduled to attend the committee’s upcoming meetings in Damascus.

A source at Borisov’s office announced that he will pay a visit to Syria in December.

Last August, the Syrian-Russian Joint Governmental Committee held a meeting in Moscow, with Borisov chairing the Russian side at the Committee and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem chairing the Syrian side. The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting in Damascus before the end of 2018.

Moscow court arrests Syrian militants in absentia over murder of Russian servicemen

Moscow's Basmanny Court has sanctioned arrest in absentia of Syrian citizens complicit in the murder of Russian Su-24 fighter jet pilot Oleg Peshkov and Russian Marine Alexander Pozynich who took part in the 2015 operation in rescuing pilots, a source close to the investigation told TASS on Tuesday.

"In regard to Syrian citizens complicit in the death of Russian marine in Latakia and in the death of a Russian pilot, the Basmanny Court chose a preventive measure in the form of imprisonment for two months, with the term starting from the moment of their extradition or from the moment of their arrest on the territory of Russia. 

They are now wanted at the national and international levels," the source said without specifying the number and names of Syrian citizens in the case.

The source said that the court rulings were made in the summer and in September 2018. Investigators are working on identifying other individuals complicit in the crime.

Russian Aerospace Defense Forces' Su-24M fighter jet was downed by Turkish aircraft over Syria on 24 November 2015. The pilots managed to evacuate, but commander Oleg Peshkov was killed by the fire from land, while other pilot Konstantin Murakhtin was rescued by Russian servicemen and brought to the Russian air base in Syria. A Mi-8 helicopter was lost in the rescue operation, and Russian marine Alexander Pozynich was killed in the operation.

US Coalition Says Detected 10 Unidentified Strikes in East Syria

The US-led coalition said on Saturday in a statement that it had detected 10 non-coalition strikes in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor amid media reports that the coalition's air raids resulted in massive civilian casualties.

Earlier in the day, the SANA news agency reported that the coalition’s airstrikes had hit the al-Buqa village near the town of Hajin in the province of Deir ez-Zor leaving 40 civilians dead. Coalition’s spokesman Col. Sean Ryan told Sputnik that the coalition had conducted strikes in the area, which, however, had not resulted in any civilian casualties.

The coalition once again confirmed that it had carried out airstrikes in the province of Deir ez-Zor pointing out that its activities had not resulted in the deaths of civilians.

"CJTF-OIR conducted a total of 19 strikes in the Hajin area between the hours of 11:00 p.m. on Nov. 16 and 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 Eastern European Time [21:00 on November 16 — 14:30 on November 17 GMT]. These strikes were in support of ground operations against ISIS [Daesh] targets in the Middle Euphrates River Valley. CJTF-OIR validated these targets as legitimate ISIS targets and assessed them to be free of civilian presence at the time of the strikes. CJTF-OIR’s initial assessment following the strikes is that there was no evidence of civilians near the strikes," the statement added.

The US-led coalition of more than 70 members has been conducting military operations against Daesh terrorist group in Syria and Iraq since September 2014. The coalition’s activities in Syria are authorized neither by the Syrian government, nor by the UN Security Council.

Source: Sputnik

Over 6,000 US-controlled terrorists remain in Rukban refugee camp : Russian MoD

The conditions of al-Rukban camp’s residents near the Syrian-Jordanian borders in al-Tanf area are reminiscent of the World War II concentration camps, Head of Russia’s National Defense Control Center Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev said on Friday.

the Russian General called on the United States to end its occupation of the area where the Camp is located.

“We are urging the United States of America to immediately stop the illegal occupation of the 55km zone around al-Tanf, which is the sovereign territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. This will automatically resolve the al-Rukban problem itself and help residents staying there return to their homes,” he said.
In the same context, the Russian Defense Ministry said over 6,000 militants of the so-called Maghawir al-Thawra group controlled by the US are currently in the Rukban refugee camp along with 50,000 refugees,

“One of the most pressing issues today is the situation in the Rukban refugee camp, where a dire humanitarian situation has emerged. It is noteworthy that the total number of temporarily displaced individuals there is around 50,000. Of these, about 6,000 are militants from the US-controlled Maghawir al-Thawra group,” said Yuri Tarasov, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Envoy to the Ceasefire and Humanitarian Task Forces in Geneva

Russia's combat helicopters to be improved after Syria experience

The holding company Helicopters of Russia (an affiliate of Rostec) keeps improving and perfecting its combat helicopters that were tested in real action in Syria, the company’s chief, Andrey Boginsky, told the media on the sidelines of Airshow China.

"There are dozens of such amendments. They are different and concern the design of the aircraft, the weapons they carry, the onboard defense systems, the weapons control systems and the possibility of using unified weapons identical to those carried by Ka-52 and Mi-28N. Vast cooperation by Rostec’s holding companies is afoot," he said.

Military specialists would like the weapons’ range to be increased and helicopters’ parameters improved, certain systems and components to be duplicated and the time needed to ready helicopters for flight reduced. Helicopters of Russia specialists have already responded to many of the Defense Ministry’s requests by revising the helicopters’ design, and not only that of future models, but of the ones already in service.
"Proceeding from the nature of conflicts amendments will have to be made to the tactics and the equipment and weapons the helicopters carry. We’ve split this work into three phases: short-term, medium-term and long-term," Boginsky said.

 

He added that certain technical solutions would entail considerable changes to the design and require extra testing to be carried by the holding company itself and its subcontractors.


Source: TASS

Russian official says Syria has right to use all weapons to defend country

The Head of the Defense Committee at Duma Council Vladimir Shamanov said on Tuesday that Syria has the right to use all of its weapons to defend the country and maintain its territorial sovereignty.

In a statement to journalists on Tuesday, Shamanov said that the Russian-supplied S-300 air defense system are highly protective and Syria has the right to use them in order to protect its national interests.

He noted that the Syrian soldiers have completed the training exercises necessary to use the S-300 missiles independently.

The Russian official did not specify whether or not Moscow will send more military advisers to instruct the Syrian Army on the use of the S-300 system.

Shamanov’s comments come shortly after the Mayor of Jerusalem said that Israel will attack the S-300 systems if Syria downs an Israel aircraft during an attack.

Syrian military says ‘no Israeli attacks’ since delivery of S-300 system

The Israeli Air Force has yet to strike Syria since the Russian Federation delivered the S-300 air defense system to the Syrian government forces, a military source in Damascus told Al-Masdar News on Sunday. 

According to the military source, the Israeli Air Force has avoided violating Syria’s airspace from either the occupied Golan Heights or Lebanon since the Syrian military received the S-300 air defense system in early October.

The source said that the Israeli Air Force has often flown close to the border from eastern Lebanon, but they would later turn back before violating Syria’s airspace.

Last week, an Israeli official told the Reuters News Agency that the IDF has attacked Syria after the downing of the Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft on September 17th; however, they did not specify the location.

Israel’s Channel One TV also claimed that the IDF struck an Iranian shipment that was intended for Hezbollah.

When asked about this claim, the Syrian military source denied any recent attacks from the Israeli Defense Forces or their air force.

The source would add that the Russian military is still training the Syrian air defense units to use the S-300 system in rural Latakia and western Hama.

Several Russian military personnel killed in Deir Ezzor – monitor

Several Russian military personnel were allegedly killed in eastern Syria this past week after the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) carried out another deadly attack.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least eleven Russian military personnel were killed by improvised explosive devices (IED) planted by the Islamic State terrorist organization.

The IEDs were allegedly placed in the Panorama area, which is located in the western outskirts of Deir Ezzor city.

While the Russian military has yet to comment on these claims, a Syrian Arab Army source said that several explosions were heard near the provincial cemetery over the last few days.

Western Deir Ezzor was often the site of many ambushes carried out by the Islamic State because it has an isolated road that is surrounded by desert.

Video: US forces clash with Turkish backed forces in northern Syria

A US official confirmed coalition forces exchanged fire with armed groups on October 15 near Manbij as suspicions rise that they were Turkish-backed rebel factions.

“They [coalitions forces] received gunfire from undisclosed persons and returned fire, and it ended quickly, skirmish at best,” Army Colonel Sean Ryan, Spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), Said

“But we don’t know who fired and it was during a US-MMC [Manbij Military Council] patrol,” he added.

Infamous ISIS commander killed in eastern Syria

A high ranking Islamic State (ISIS) commander was killed in the Deir Ezzor countryside this weekend after a series of clashes with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

The infamous Syrian ISIS commander, Tariq Jaber Makhlaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jabari (AKA “Abu Adham Al-Shami”), was killed this weekend while fighting the Syrian Democratic Forces near the key town of Hajin.

Prior to his death in eastern Deir Ezzor, Al-Jabari was wanted by the Syrian authorities for his terrorist actions across the country.

Al-Jabari was one of several Islamic State militants that were killed in the heavy battle between the aforementioned terrorist group and Syrian Democratic Forces.

US led coalition commits 'new massacre' in East Syria

At least 62 civilians killed and  tens others injured in US-led coalition’s air strikes in the eastern part of the Deir ez-Zor province in Syria. the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported on Saturday, adding that the death toll may rise considering that dead bodies might remain strewn among the debris of collapsed buildings.

An airstrike targeted the civilian area of Aliyat in the As Susa settlement located 140 kilometers away from the administrative center Deir ez-Zor province where 15 women and children died. 

Missiles were also fired at the building of Othman Bin Affan Mosque where 37 civilians were reportedly killed and dozens were wounded. 

That was followed by an attack targeting a mosque in the Bu Badran settlement, which killed ten people.

Following the attack, Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry demanded international investigation into US-led Coalition’s attacks on Syria territories.

Russia supplied Syria with most ‘modernized’ S-300 system – report

Moscow has delivered advanced S-300 air defense missiles to Syria to protect the country’s troops deployed in the war-torn Arab country in the wake of last month’s downing of a Russian reconnaissance plane during an Israeli airstrike in Latakia.

The three battalion sets of S-300PM-2 air defense missile handed over to Syria by Russia are more advanced compared to their conventional counterparts, the newspaper Izvestiya wrote, citing Defense Ministry sources in Moscow.

The S-300PM-2 system is equipped with a more advanced radar station, an improved target illumination and guidance station (firing radar) and a mobile command post.

Launchers have also been upgraded enabling the use of more advanced, powerful and long-range missiles, compared to the “classic” S-300.

Unlike conventional S-300s, the modernized air defense system can fire medium-range tactical ballistic missiles, while retaining its ability to destroy aerial targets up to 250 kilometers (155 miles) away.

The S-300PM-2 also boasts improved anti-jamming capability allowing it to operate in conditions of electronic warfare.

Contrary to media reports, the S-300PM-2 currently deployed in Syria will not be operated by Iranians because the only specialists who can operate this system are in Russia, the source told the newspaper.

President Assad receive Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria

President Bashar al-Assad received on Friday Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Verchinen and the accompanying delegation.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the developments in Syria, especially on the political track and the process of forming a committee to discuss the current constitution.

For his part, Lavrentiev said that the Russian side is satisfied with the positive attitude shown by Damascus and its openness to everything that would contribute to moving forward and achieving the desired progress on this path.

He stressed that such attitude helps in withdrawing excuses from some countries that exert great pressure in order not to achieve any progress in the political process with the aim of blaming Damascus and its allies for this later.

In turn, President al-Assad affirmed that some countries in the region and many Western countries continue to interfere in the political path and exert pressure to impose their will on the Syrians, which may hinder any progress.

He stated that Syria continues to work with all those who have the real will to eliminate terrorism and restore stability while at the same time adhering to the right guaranteed by the international conventions stipulating for not allwoing any outside party to interfere in its internal affairs.

The meeting also dealt with the issue of the return of the Syrians, who were forced by the circumstances of the war to leave their country, where President Assad stressed that the return of the Syrians to their home is a fundamental objective and is a priority for the work of the Syrian government that continues to work to secure all necessary measures for their return.

Lavrentiev briefed President al-Assad on the outcomes of his tour which included a number of Arab countries before his visit to Damascus as he stressed that Russia seeks through this diplomatic movement to exchange views on the issues of the region, especially the political process in Syria and moving ahead with the battle to eliminate terrorism in order to restore security and stability and preserve the unity and independence of Syria.

The meeting was attended by Chief of the National Security Bureau Major General Ali al-Mamlouk, Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Ayman Sousan, and Russian Ambassador in Damascus.

Source: Sana News Agency

Several civilians killed & injured by terror attacks in Aleppo city

One civilian was killed , and material damage was caused to houses when terrorist groups positioned in southwestern countryside of Aleppo fired shells on residential neighbourhoods in Aleppo city.

The terrorists on Thursday evening fired a rocket shell on al-Sabil neighbourhood in Aleppo, killing one civilian and causing material damage to a number of houses.

Also, the terrorist groups attacked with a rocket shell al-Mokambo neighborhood , causing only material damage.

Units of the Syrian Arab Army have responded to the attacks by targeting the areas from which the shells were launched, inflicting heavy losses upon the militants in personnel and arms.

US drone allegedly seen spying on new Syrian S-300 system

According to the Arabic-language section of Russia Today, a U.S. RC-135V reconnaissance drone flew hundreds of kilometers to the Syrian coastal province of Latakia to spy on the S-300 system.

The report said that the U.S. drone took off from the Souda Airbase in the Greek island of Crete.

No other details were released.

The U.S. Coalition has not commented on Russia Today’s claim.

The Syrian military received the S-300 air defense system in early October after tumultuous exchange of hostilities with the Israeli Air Force resulted in the downing of a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft off the coast of Latakia.

US behind terrorists control of Euphrates bank in Syria - Russia

Terrorists have managed to establish complete control over a 20-kilometer territory on the Euphrates’ east bank in Syria due to the inaction of pro-American groups, chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties Vladimir Savchenko said on Monday.

"As a result of inaction of pro-American groups, ISIS terrorists have managed to establish complete control over a 20-kilometer strip on the Euphrates’ east bank between the settlements of Hajin and al-Susa," he said.

According to Savchenko, despite the United States’ statement on the defeat of Islamic State, militants still enjoy control over some of Syria’s territories and the US-led coalition and pro-American Kurdish groups of the Syrian Democratic Forces continue to simulate fighting against militants in the south of the Deir ez-Zor governorate.

Syria President Assad plans to visit Crimea

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said at a meeting with a delegation from Crimea that he plans to attend the Yalta International Economic Forum (YIEF) in April 2019, if circumstances permit, member of the Crimean delegation and Co-Chairman of the YIEF Organizing Committee Andrei Nazarov told reporters on Tuesday.

“He said that he would be sure to take part [in it], if nothing prevented him from doing so,” Nazarov said.

“Bashar Al-Assad said it was a great honor for him to be invited, and he would certainly come, if circumstances permitted. He added that he would like to visit Crimea and take part in such a major event as the YIEF,” Nazarov added.

According to a member of the Crimean delegation, the Syrian president linked the possibility of his participation in the forum to the situation in Syria.

“He said, if we liberate everything by that time, there will be no obstacles for my trip to the Yalta forum. As far as I understand, they [Syrians] want to tackle all issues here during this time,” Nazarov added when asked whether Assad mentioned plans for Idlib, the last remaining major militant stronghold in Syria.

The Crimean delegation’s meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was held on Tuesday morning in Damascus.