Russian military intervention and aid to Syria #10

calm wrote:What?
https://www.rt.com/news/367323-lavrov-kerry-apec-lima/
Russian bombers are striking terrorist targets in Syria’s Idlib and Homs provinces so that Islamic State militants retreating from Iraq’s Mosul do not cross into Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after “constructive” talks with his US counterpart, John Kerry.

par far wrote:

calm wrote:What?
https://www.rt.com/news/367323-lavrov-kerry-apec-lima/
Russian bombers are striking terrorist targets in Syria’s Idlib and Homs provinces so that Islamic State militants retreating from Iraq’s Mosul do not cross into Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after “constructive” talks with his US counterpart, John Kerry.

I am going to guess, Russia is sending a message to the terrorists, don't come into Syria or you are going to be killed like the assholes in Idlib.

calm wrote:Locations of the targets which are pounding by #RuAF airstrikes and #RuNavy missiles.

#Su24, #Su34 and #Su30|SM, #Latakia, #Syria, (c) Ahmad ALkhayer

George1 wrote:According to the web-site forums.airforce.ru, four new Su-35S (red hull numbers from "50" to "53"), transmitted VKS Russia in November 2016 and from 12 to 15 November flew from Komsomolsk on-Amur in the European part of Russia on November 21, made a flight to the airbase Hmeymim in Syria.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2272938.html

airstrike wrote:Four newly-delivered Russian Su-35S jets deployed to Syria

http://defense-watch.com/2016/11/22/four-newly-delivered-russian-su-35s-jets-deployed-syria/

By Guy Faulconbridge and Jonathan Saul | LONDON
Russian tankers have smuggled jet fuel to Syria through EU waters, bolstering military supplies to a war-torn country where Moscow is carrying out air strikes in support of the government, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

At least two Russian-flagged ships made deliveries - which contravene EU sanctions - via Cyprus, an intelligence source with a European Union government told Reuters. There was a sharp increase in shipments in October, said the source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

A separate shipping source familiar with the movements of the Russian-flagged vessels said the ships visited Cypriot and Greek ports before delivering fuel to Syria.

The Russian defence and transport ministries did not initially respond to requests for comment. The defence ministry later said EU sanctions on fuel supplies to Syria could not be applied to the Russian air group in that country.

A spokeswoman for EU foreign affairs and security policy said the implementation of EU restrictions lay with member states. "We trust that competent authorities are complying with their obligation to ensure respect of the restrictive measures in place and to pursue any circumvention attempts," she added.

Greece's foreign ministry referred questions to the shipping ministry, which was not immediately available to comment.

The Cypriot government said its authorities had not approved the docking of any Russian tankers carrying jet fuel bound for Syria. "We would welcome any information that may be provided to us on any activity that contravenes U.N. or EU restrictive measures," the Cypriot foreign ministry added.

Syria's civil war, which began in 2011, has become a theatre for competing global powers, with Russia and Iran supporting President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States, Gulf Arab and European powers backing rebels who want to depose him.

Russia changed the course of the conflict in favour of Assad's government last year when it intervened with air strikes. Moscow says it targets only Islamic State militants and other jihadist fighters.

EU Council Regulation 1323/2014, introduced two years ago, bans any supply of jet fuel to Syria from the EU territories, whether or not the fuel originated in the European Union.

Over one two-week period in October, Russian tankers delivered 20,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel to Syria - worth around $9 million at today's world prices - via the European Union, according to the EU government intelligence source.

"The jet fuel shipments from these vessels have played a vital role in maintaining Russian air strikes in the region," said the source. "This points to a sustained Russian build-up of resources needed to support their military operation and ambitions in Syria."

Some of the shipped fuel also went to the Syrian military, helping to "keep Assad's air assets operational", the source added.

The shipping source and a third person, an intelligence consultant specialising in the Mediterranean area, also said the fuel was likely intended for Russian and Syrian military use.

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

George1 wrote:According to the web-site forums.airforce.ru, four new Su-35S (red hull numbers from "50" to "53"), transmitted VKS Russia in November 2016 and from 12 to 15 November flew from Komsomolsk on-Amur in the European part of Russia on November 21, made a flight to the airbase Hmeymim in Syria.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2272938.html

my guess: in factoiry they fixed all flaws pointed by military and now retesting in field conditions.

par far wrote:

GunshipDemocracy wrote:

George1 wrote:According to the web-site forums.airforce.ru, four new Su-35S (red hull numbers from "50" to "53"), transmitted VKS Russia in November 2016 and from 12 to 15 November flew from Komsomolsk on-Amur in the European part of Russia on November 21, made a flight to the airbase Hmeymim in Syria.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2272938.html

my guess: in factoiry they fixed all flaws pointed by military and now retesting in field conditions.

What flaws did they have?

MonkeymodelBananaRepublic wrote:Does anyone have a good handle on the game that is being played out here?

From what I can make out:

US is fighting for influence/control over iraq as a puppet state but iraq has increasingly been falling into orbit of iran and russia. Iraq is trying to play these two groups off against one another and against kurds

syria is solidly in russia camp (has been for 40 + years)

turkey was solidly in US camp for decades but following downing russian jet they have had second thoughts? US picked up on this when ergon stopped following US orders and tried to kiss and make up with russia - so they launched a real coup attempt to remove him from power and replace him with someone who follow orders or to at least scare him into line. russia tipped him off, saved his butt effectively, now he is playing US and russia off against one another so he can have some independance to attack turks to stop his own country from fragmenting

Kurds in turkey, iraq, syria are all same religion and secular but hate each others guts. They are playing russia and US off against one another for support to fight terrorists and assad (depending on how brave they feel) - so they can form their own country.

Neither syria, iraq, iran, turkey want to see a kurdistan or 3 exist so oppose it. But russia and US dont mind a kurdistan? Israel has been flying and supplying kurds for 3 years at least - dont mind supporting them to prolong muslims killing each other instead of jews

If this is the case, now that the end is in sight for the iraq campaign against ISIS and assad has given approval for iraq PMU to enter syria to help kill ISIS - does this mean iraq and syria might be moving to push back against the kurds along with turkey? This would seem to be in the best interest of all 3 countries (iraq, syria, turkey)

Could that be why turkey has encroached on these countries sovereignty as opposed to idea of turkey still having idea of wanting to rule middle east. I am sure turkey president knows no way russia/iran would ever let that happen and they dont want to get into a direct fight with them after seeing what they can do last 2 years and how luke-warm US can be when it feels things are not fast and easy (e.g. Libya, Iraq 1, Iraq 2). Does this sound about right?      

If this is the players objectives and how they are going about achieving themit might make it easier to understand what is going on in the battle-field. It makes my head spin to read in the newspapers each week the changing in support from one side to another.  

calm wrote:Russian carrier jets flying from #Syria, not Kuznetsov
http://www.janes.com/article/65775/russian-carrier-jets-flying-from-syria-not-kuznetsov

calm wrote:Russian carrier jets flying from #Syria, not Kuznetsov
http://www.janes.com/article/65775/russian-carrier-jets-flying-from-syria-not-kuznetsov

KoTeMoRe wrote:

calm wrote:Russian carrier jets flying from #Syria, not Kuznetsov
http://www.janes.com/article/65775/russian-carrier-jets-flying-from-syria-not-kuznetsov

Almost impossible to distinguish the SU-34 from Su-33. Why do I have my doubts about this?