Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces control the monitor of their drone at their advanced position, during the fighting with Islamic State’s fighters in Nazlat Shahada, a district of Raqqa, Syria August 16, 2017.. (photo credit: ZOHRA BENSEMRA/REUTERS)
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Russia’s deputy defense minister Aleksandr Fomin accused a US airplane of manually controlling 13 drones that attempted to attack Russia’s Khmeimim air base in Syria. The surprising allegations were made at a plenary session of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Thursday. A Russian diplomatic source elaborated on the comments, alleging that some Syrian militants in Idlib are being used by the US to create instability in northern Syria.
According to a report at TASS, Russia’s news agency, the official said that thirteen drones have “moved according to common combat battle deployment, operated by a single crew.” He linked their movements to the presence of an American Poseidon-8 reconnaissance plan patrolling in the Mediterranean Sea. He alleged that as the drones approached the sensitive Russian air base, the Russians used electronic countermeasures against them. The drones then began to use “manual guidance,” which he said could not have been done by local Syrian “villagers,” but was in fact done by the Poseidon-8 “which has modern equipment.” The drones were destroyed, according to Fomin.
“This should be stopped as well, in order to avoid fighting with the high-technology weapons of terrorists and highly-equipped terrorists it is necessary to stop supplying them with equipment,” Fomin said. He went on to note that in January, Syrian rebel groups had first used a large number of drones “in the attack on the Russian Khmeimim air base and the Russian naval base in Tartus.”
He said the latest attack was thwarted as Russia downed seven drones and “took control” over six others. Moscow’s evidence is based on the view that the technology necessary to coordinate the drones came from a “technologically advanced country.” Russia warned against a repeat of the incident.
The report comes on the heels of new satellite images from ImageSat International, which showed the presence of the S-300 systems Russia supplied Syria in the wake of downing of the Russian IL-20 in September during an Israeli air strike on Syria. Russia blamed Israel for creating the events that led to the downing, even though Syrian air defense shot the Russian plane down.
The recent news of the drones is one of many allegations in Russian media over the years that has sought to link the US to extremist groups. For instance in March, April and June, Sputnik news, which is close to the Kremlin, claimed the US had evacuated Islamic State fighters and commanders in Syria using helicopters.
This is a way to spread rumors in the region that the US is working with ISIS, even as the US leads a 70-nation coalition against ISIS. Russian sources have previously accused the US of working with the Nusra front, or al-Qaeda in Syria. Alleging that the US was supplying technology to Syrian rebels of extremist groups in Idlib would be in line with the previous accusations.
According to RT television network, which is also affiliated with Moscow, the Kremlin is now concerned by the report from its own deputy defense minister.
“This is undoubtedly a very alarming report,” Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, was quoted as saying.
Russia has documented more than 50 attempts to launch drones from Idlib at the Khmeimim air base since August, according to a Russian diplomatic source. This comes amid the Idlib agreement signed in mid-September between Russia and Turkey that halted a planned Syrian-regime offensive to retake Idlib province from the rebels and extremists. Instead heavy weapons are being withdrawn from part of the rebel enclave and the extremist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is supposed to be removed from a demilitarized zone.
Idlib Province is near the Khmeimim air base and the drone attacks have come from there over the last months. That the rebels have used drones is not disputed, but Moscow’s allegations that the US is behind these attacks is a new claim.
“These groups are used by the US so that the situation in Idlib remains unsettled,” the diplomatic source said. “Drones are launched by militants from several groups which do not adhere to truce terms.”
The allegation at the forum in China therefore is a way to warn the US about any provocations in Syria, either from the sea or Idlib and also could be used as a pretext if Moscow responds. The deputy minister’s comments were made in such a way as to allude to US directly coordinating the drone attacks, as opposed to presenting clear evidence of the coordination, such as showcasing the drones themselves and where they originated, or documented radio communications. This allows Moscow some climb-down and allows Washington time to respond. It may also be a way to pressure Turkey to crack down on any new drone attacks from Idlib.
An inquiry to the US Coalition and Centcom regarding these allegations went unanswered as of press time.
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