The Russian Defense Ministry released a statement Monday saying that unknown militants used 10 sophisticated, armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to target the Hmeimim air base located near the Syrian city of Latakia and three more against the naval facility in Tartus.The statement added that there were no casualties or damage as a result of the attacks on the Hmeimim air base and Tartus naval facility.
Russian forces were able to overpower radio signals for some of the drones and gain control of them during the attacks overnight on January 5-6, according to the statement.
When Russian military experts examined the remote-controlled devices, they were said to have used technology that could only have been supplied from one of a limited number of countries.
"Engineering solutions used by the terrorists in the attack...could have been obtained only from a country possessing high-tech capabilities for providing satellite navigation and remote control," the statement added, without naming any country.
The attack came about a week after a deadly New Year’s Eve mortar strike during which Russian newspaper Kommersant reported up to seven aircraft were destroyed and two personnel were killed at Hmeimim airbase, making it the single largest loss of hardware since Russia launched its September 2015 intervention to support the Assad regime.
The ministry also said that one of its military helicopters crashed in Syria on December 31 due to a "technical malfunction," killing both pilots aboard.
Western officials say that the Russian campaign, particularly in its earlier stages, has focused heavily on targeting rebels seeking Assad’s ouster rather than IS militants.
التعليقات (0)