In Syria last Friday, February 9, several hundred military personnel were killed in one day, but data on the exact number of deaths varies. Viktor Shevchuk writes about this for the Russkiy Mir publication.

Thus, according to some, more than 600 Russian military personnel (military contractors allegedly from PMCs) died, according to others - more than 200. To date, it has been possible to piece together quite a large amount of information about the events and the consequences of direct fire contact between the Russian military and the American army. According to the latest data, the coalition forces suffered no losses as a result of the conflict.

1. What was the point of the attack on the Kurdish positions in the Euphrates region?

Most likely, the main target of the attack by mixed Russian-Assad units was the oil-bearing region in South-West Syria, in which Russia has long been interested. The fact is that despite the fact that Assad and the Kremlin, together with Iran, control approximately 40-50% of the territory of Syria, they have no economic opportunity to compensate for the costs of the war, and most importantly, there are no resources to restore the completely destroyed territory that they control. Thus, the Kremlin came up with the idea of ​​occupying oil-bearing areas 80 kilometers from Deir ez-Zor, where it is possible in the future that Rosneft and Gazprom will be able to expand their activities. However, just a few days before the Russian military moved into this area, the territory was taken under control by the Syrian opposition, which is part of an anti-terrorist coalition with the US military. There were also American military advisers in the ranks of the forces of the democratic Syrian opposition, including on the front lines.

Nevertheless, the Kremlin decided to “test the area” and seize the territory in case of weak opposition. The operation was prepared at first demonstratively, and after the bridge across the Euphrates, built by the Russian military, was also demonstratively destroyed, the accumulation of large forces for the offensive began.

2. How the operation of Russian troops in Syria developed.

General Hassan, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the region, points to a spot on a map east of the city of Deir ez-Zor, 80 kilometers southeast of here, where he says there are pro-regime tanks and artillery President Bashar al-Assad began advancing Wednesday evening toward the headquarters occupied by his forces and U.S. advisers special operations(Hassan, like some other senior Kurdish commanders, does not give his full name).

According to Hasan, he received intelligence information about the preparation of an offensive by pro-regime forces. At 9:30 pm on Wednesday, about half an hour before the offensive began, he called a Russian liaison officer in Deir ez-Zor, with whom he is in contact, in the hope that he could stop the operation.

“We said that there was a certain movement going on and that we would not want to attack the participants in these actions. They (the Russians) did not accept our proposal, they denied everything and said that nothing was happening,” Hassan said through an interpreter.

He spoke with several reporters who arrived here on Thursday with Major General James Jarrard, who oversees US special operations forces in Syria and Iraq.

American officers made a similar attempt aimed at preventing clashes. As a Pentagon statement on Thursday emphasized, “coalition officials remained in constant contact with their Russian counterparts before, during and after” the offensive. “The Russian military has assured coalition representatives that they will not attack nearby coalition forces,” the statement said.

Hassan said the attack began around 10 p.m., with pro-regime forces advancing under cover of tank and artillery fire that exploded about 450 meters from the positions held by the SDF and American soldiers.

In total, one battalion-tactical group was allegedly initially involved in the attack, which included more than 10 tanks and about three dozen units of other armored vehicles. After the American military retreated from the forward positions, the Russians decided to develop the offensive and bring into action a second, reserve battalion-tactical group, the exact number of which is unknown.

The US Air Force responded to this threat with devastating strikes, initially with high-precision artillery and possibly, judging by eyewitnesses, the use of HIMARS (English High Mobility Artillery Rocket System - pron. Haymars) - an American highly mobile missile and artillery system for operational-tactical purposes. These are missiles that can fly up to 200 km in five minutes and destroy up to 50 targets in one salvo with precision-guided ammunition. Most likely, it was with the help of this system that Russian artillery covering batteries were destroyed, and the drones were used only for target designation of fire. After the destruction of enemy artillery, as well as the operational formations of the Russians and Assadites, there was struck against the rear units, which actually destroyed the second BTG on the march.

At the same time, the electronic warfare system operated, completely suppressing communications in operational formations, which explains that it was possible to obtain a transcript of the conversations of the rear groups. The air was probably controlled by two pairs (as usual) of F22 Raptors, monitoring the possible appearance of Russian aviation in a given area.

According to Hasan, in the midst of this bloodbath, a Russian liaison officer called him again and asked him to stop for a while fighting in order to pick up the dead and wounded - during the offensive, which he denied. The Kurdish commander saw this as treachery.

“We don’t trust the Russians anymore,” Hasan said.

And when one reporter noted the irony of the situation - a Russian officer first denies carrying out an attack and then asks for a ceasefire - Hassan said: “It’s funny that a superpower doesn’t know what its forces are doing on the ground.”

Approximately two hours after the counterattacks, 80% of all Russian and Assadite forces were destroyed. Now the “flea hunt” began - using the “anti-guerrilla” AC130 and two pairs of attack helicopters, the Americans, under the cover of the F22, finally cleared the enemy’s offensive area.

You can roughly see how this happens in the video below:

The total losses of the Russian Federation and Assad amounted to up to 90% of all equipment and 70-80% of manpower. The American military emerged from the battle, in all likelihood, without losses. The entire operation lasted about six hours.

3. Why do the data on Russian casualties differ?

The main reason is the complete secrecy of information from the beginning of the operation by the Russian Army until its completion. In addition, there were two battalion tactical groups. Probably in the first one (on the line of contact) 217 ​​Russians (mercenaries from PMCs) died. The second group was defeated on the march (at least three companies of Russians). Hence the difference in assessment - from 217 to 640 Russian military personnel. It must be said that in reality, the coalition forces completely destroyed not only the forward group, but also the artillery support group, as well as the rear group, including the operational headquarters that commanded the offensive.

4. What is PMC “Wagner” and why do they write that they were the only ones who died?

PMC “Wagner” is a camouflage name for the most combat-ready Russian units in Syria, the so-called “Ichtamnets”. These are detachments of assault special forces, which previously actively fought in Ukraine, and now in Syria. Before the offensive, Russian military personnel from these units hand over their passports, military identification cards, and change into the uniform of Assad’s troops. In reality, they are all professional Russian military contractors. The coalition is well aware of this and monitors their movements constantly.

5. What are the consequences of this operation for the Kremlin and the coalition?

It must be said that the complete destruction of the Russian military group by American forces in Syria in the first hours caused a shock both at the headquarters of the Russian troops in Syria and in the Kremlin subsequently. What was unexpected was not only the fact that the Americans responded to the Kremlin’s challenge in the oil-bearing region of Syria, but also the power with which they responded. It is estimated that Russian units destroyed in southern Syria accounted for about 20% of all Russian assault forces. They were destroyed in a few hours. Within a few hours, the American side announced from official sources that it had destroyed Assad’s forces during their attack on coalition positions. They also stated that they knew nothing about any “Russian ichtamnets” in this area. A day later, about 150 wounded Russians were flown to Russia on two planes. Some of the wounded were left on the territory of Russian air bases in Syria.

The Kremlin refrained from making a clear response, expressing only “deep concern” about the current situation in southern Syria. Most likely, in the near future, Russia will refrain from carrying out any operations in the direction of coalition troops, having learned a cruel lesson. According to experts, in the event of a conflict with the coalition, Russia could lose all its bases in Syria within three days.

A day after the events in the Deir ez-Zor area, active operation israeli army in the Damascus area. Having discovered an Iranian-made drone in its airspace, the Israeli army shot it down and then launched a massive strike on military installations of Hezbollah and Assad’s forces. Then, after the loss of one of its aircraft (presumably shot down by the S-300 air defense system), Israel destroyed eight air defense batteries simultaneously in the Damascus area with a massive strike.

Conclusions.

It is likely that in the near future military operations in Syria will intensify mainly in the central regions. The situation around the Russian military group will deteriorate significantly in the coming months, which could lead, if clear agreements are not reached, to its evacuation in the middle or end of the year, as well as the annihilation of the Assad regime subsequently.

The US Army has proven its overwhelming superiority in this theater of operations. Starting from technical superiority and ending with methods of combat and command and control. The Russian troops prepared and carried out a completely mediocre and senseless operation, which was identified at the planning stage. In addition, the Russian army is not capable of conducting night offensive operations - the troops of the Assadites and Russians were shot virtually at a shooting range, and at complete loss orientations last.

Here is a transcript of the radio exchange on this matter. The Russian media are silent on this matter, since the President of the Russian Federation has already officially announced that a final victory has been won in Syria and therefore there should be no deaths.

The information was taken from the WarGonzo Telegram channel, which is run by military correspondent Semyon Pegov...
Voice 1: “...In short, this is the fuck@th time we’ve been fucked, that’s in short. In one company there were 200 people, 200 people right away, in another there were 10 people and I don’t know about the third, but there they were also disheveled very badly, in short, three companies suffered, so they beat the Pindos, at first they covered the fuck with artillery and then they raised 4 fucking turntables and launched them into the carousel, in short, from large-caliber machine guns, in short, in short, ours had nothing at all except machine guns, well, not to mention some kind of man-portable air defense system, and so on , in short, they finally disheveled it, well, they created hell there and the Pindos specifically and clearly knew that we were coming, our Russians were coming to squeeze out the plant, and they were sitting at this plant, in short, we got fucked even harder right now The boys called me back, damn they’re sitting there drinking, in short, there’s a lot of really fucking missing people, well, that’s in short, it’s fucked up, there’s another fucking humiliation and well, in short, with us, fuck @ nunikto in general, fuck @ I don’t even think about how they treated the devils, I think that our people will now f*ck our government and no one will do anything in response and no one will destroy anyone. For this, fuck these losses we have!”

Voice 2: “Brother, look. There are 177 killed there - only the 5th company. 2 was practically not caught. In short, the entire 5th was destroyed, they were crushed there by aviation, helicopters, artillery, and the Kurds and the Americans trampled on them, the boys simply had no chance, almost all of the 5th fell. Here are the remnants of the heavy ones, now “Tulip” will come at night today, we will meet them then. Come on, get in touch. Viktorovich, too, in my opinion, if found, is also minus.”

Voice 3: “In short, the guy just called back, they lined up in a column, they didn’t get to these three hundred, fucking seven hundred meters, he says, to the positions, one platoon went forward, and these, the column, stood. They didn't get as far as three hundred meters. These American flags were raised and the art started to kick hard at them, and then the turntables flew up and started fucking everyone, so they were running... Now the guy called back - a total of 215 “two hundredths”, it seems like that, in short they just rolled out hard... They designated ourselves... What did our people even hope for? Like they'll fuck themselves? Will they be scared? Who knows... In short, it's such bullshit... They can't identify someone at all, people don't give a damn there. They just fucked a standing column with artillery, the infantry didn’t even move forward, they just fucked with artillery, and that’s it, it’s fucked up.”

Earlier it was reported that two KamAZ trucks from Syria were the corpses of Russian mercenaries.

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2015.10.12, 01:03 2693

Frontline of the world. What's there in Syria?

The future of the world is now being shaped in Syria. Let's look at what's happening there today and how what's happening will affect tomorrow.

Firstly, the “democrats” dropped their peacekeeper masks. NATO fighters carried out an airstrike on the positions of Kurdish militias fighting against ISIS

The incident occurred the day before in Raqqa province. A pair of unknown fighter jets carried out an airstrike on a former Kurdish militia camp. The incident occurred the day before in Raqqa province. The commander of the Kurdish militia reported this under conditions of strict anonymity.

"The silhouettes of two aircraft with a characteristic delta wing and one fin were seen by the militia in the sky above their positions in Friday evening", - he said.

According to the TASS agency, it was these planes that dropped aerial bombs several kilometers from the militia camp that they abandoned in the summer. The airstrike destroyed several buildings.

As the Russian Spring portal notes, it is absolutely clear that the planes belonged to the North Atlantic Alliance. In all likelihood, these were the French Dessault Rafael, which, according to the official version, last night attacked the positions of Islamic State militants in Syria.

The Syrian media are convinced: “NATO planes are bombing SAR positions and the country’s infrastructure.” Yesterday, NATO aircraft illegally flew into Syrian airspace and destroyed two electrical substations in Aleppo province. On at the moment All the details of the incident are being clarified.

Aleppo is uneasy; fighting has been going on between Islamic State militants and Syrian government forces for the second day. It became known that through an active assault, the terrorists were able to capture several populated areas. There has been no official confirmation of this information yet, Russian media write.

Such anomalous activity of the Islamic State at the front is most likely due to shelling by Turkish and US aircraft of the positions of the Syrian Arab Army, says SearchNews.

The SAA headquarters reports that two Turkish NATO aircraft, with transponders turned off and without permission to fly into Syrian airspace, bombed two electrical substations in the village of Ridwaniya (Ryan) in Aleppo province. As a result, the entire area was left without electricity, which is why hospitals and water supply companies cannot function normally.

Let us remind you that this is not the first time that NATO aircraft have opened fire on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

It is interesting that NATO aviation used similar tactics in Libya, then the infrastructure was also destroyed, and later a no-fly zone was introduced over the country. Such events caused extreme discontent among the population, and the flow of refugees decreased.

The answer was not long in coming. An SU-24 bomber destroyed a building containing IS leaders with a direct hit.

Su-24M aircraft destroyed the field headquarters of IS formations in the area of ​​the village of Salma. It was he who coordinated the actions of militants in the province of Latakia.

“As a result of a direct hit from a KAB-500 guided bomb, the building in which the militant leaders were hiding was completely destroyed. Five all-terrain vehicles equipped with ZU-23 installations located next to this facility were also destroyed,”– reported the Russian Ministry of Defense.

In addition, the military department reported, more than fifty fortified areas and defensive positions, four terrorist training camps, seven ammunition depots, and one field command post were destroyed.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian combat aircraft taking off from the Khmeimim airbase destroyed IS positions in the provinces of Hama, Latakia, Idlib and Raqqa, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

He clarified that the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out strikes on 63 targets of the Islamic State terrorist group. The militants panic and demand urgent reinforcements.

And today the Syrian army has taken the city of Atshan (Achan) and continues to advance to strategic heights, trying to trap the terrorists in a cauldron.

This was reported to Russian Spring by a native of Donbass with the call sign "Timur", who is now in the Kurdish militia and is responsible for coordinating actions with the Syrian army.

“According to preliminary data, the city of Atshan has been liberated from terrorists. Currently, the Syrian military is attacking the heights behind Khan Sheikhoun in order to cut the road and close the Kefer-Zaity cauldron,”- said Timur.

In the video filmed by terrorists near Atshan, you can see an attempt by militants to repel an attack by the Syrian army.

The Syrian army has liberated the city of Ashtan from terrorists and is closing ISIS in the cauldron

People knowledgeable in weapons are anticipating: “Well, it’s about to begin.” Heavy flamethrower systems TOS-1A “Solntsepek” have arrived in Syria.

Indeed, heavy flamethrower systems TOS-1A “Solntsepek” arrived in Syria from Russia, as evidenced by photographs posted on social networks taken by Syrian bloggers. This is a terrible weapon, the power of which has already been felt by ISIS militants operating in Iraq, when the Russian Federation delivered a batch of TOS-1A to the Iraqi army. Now the Syrian Armed Forces have similar systems, which plan to launch a large-scale offensive against Islamist positions in the north of the country in the coming weeks.

The number of flamethrower systems located in Syria is still unknown.

TOS-1A "Solntsepek" is a formidable modern weapon that effectively destroys enemy personnel, firing positions and disables armored vehicles.

The heavy flamethrower system fires unguided thermobaric rockets. The ammunition releases a cloud of flammable gas and then detonates it, causing all the oxygen in the cloud to react. After instantaneous detonation, the pressure rises sharply and also drops sharply below atmospheric pressure by 160 mm Hg.

Even if the enemy manages to survive the explosion, the pressure drop leads to his guaranteed immediate death from the explosion internal organs. TOS "Solntsepek" has high salvo firing accuracy, which is ensured by direct aiming of the launcher and automated guidance to a target located at a distance of up to 6 km.

"Solntsepek" is in service with the radiation, chemical and biological protection Russian Army since April 2001.

Specialization of the TOS-1A "Solntsepek" is the defeat of enemy personnel, open and closed firing positions in various types offensive and defensive combat, disabling armored vehicles.

photo promportalndg.ru, S.M.T.

Syrian militants scream in fear as they observe the use of modern weapons against ISIS units.

Russian helicopters in Syria are also involved in airstrikes against IS strongholds. TV channel "Russia24" spoke about this for the first time. In addition, the channel showed a video from the Syrian military, filmed at the time of air strikes carried out by Russian helicopters. Earlier, Igor Klimov, a representative of the Russian Aerospace Forces, mentioned the helicopters stationed in Syria: the MI-24 attack helicopters, as well as the Mi-8AMTSh transport and combat helicopters.

The first victories are won by the Syrian army with the support of Russian aviation. Islamic radicals have been driven out of Al-Bakhsa (100 km southeast of Latakia, Hama Province), General Samir Suleiman, head of the political department of the Syrian army, shared information with reporters. Before this, from the beginning of August, the city of Bakhsa was under the control of militants from the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda* - the al-Nusra Front*. Suleiman emphasized that experienced militants who had gone through the experience of Iraq and Afghanistan stood in Bakhsa, but they retreated, afraid of targeted strikes by Russian aircraft.

The fight against terrorism in Syria is underway in full swing, the Kyn valley is liberated from IS. Judging by the latest news, it becomes clear that everything is not in vain!

These territories are located near the border with Turkey and 20 kilometers from the city of Idlib, in which, according to the Syrian army, the most large number terrorists. In the liberated valley, areas are now being cleared after airstrikes; in previously residential settlements, there could be snipers in underground shelters and mined areas.

In general, the combined Russian and Syrian military are good and effective in defeating terrorists. Although it is slow and difficult, there are results. Terrorists are losing positions, people, equipment and infrastructure.

If this continues, if no one interferes or distracts, then soon through joint efforts it will be possible to clear the border with Turkey, liberate Idlib and several cities that have long been surrounded and advance towards Aleppo. And then, lo and behold, the resources of al-Nusra and other groups will dry up, and we will completely exterminate the ISIS terrorists.

ISIS rats are hiding in holes. This is evidenced by the summary of combat operations of the air group of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria dated October 10

Over the past 24 hours, the Russian air group in the Syrian Arab Republic continued to strike the infrastructure of the terrorist group ISIS. Su-34, Su-24M and Su-25SM aircraft carried out 64 combat sorties from the Khmeimim airbase against 55 ISIS targets. The increase in the intensity of combat sorties by our aviation is associated with a significant increase in the number of ground targets identified by air and space reconnaissance throughout the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

At the initial stage of the operation, our aircraft destroyed the main and largest key logistics facilities of the ISIS terrorist group. This led to a significant reduction in the combat potential of the gangs, a decrease in their mobility and ability to conduct offensive operations.

According to radio intercepts, the militants are experiencing an acute shortage of weapons, ammunition and fuel and lubricants. Some of the militants are demoralized and are actively leaving the combat areas, moving in eastern and northeastern directions across the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. Therefore, at present, throughout almost the entire territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, we are recording an active redeployment of weapons, military equipment and vehicles with ammunition aimed at emergency recovery combat effectiveness of existing gangs of the terrorist group ISIS

The main targets of destruction over the past 24 hours were command posts and communications centers of militants, weapons and ammunition depots, bases and terrorist training camps in the provinces of RAQQA, HAMA, DAMASCUS and ALEPPO.

Su-24M bombers struck a large fortified area of ​​militants east of the village. TEL ALAM, ALEPPO Province. At this site there were pre-equipped firing points, mortar artillery positions, as well as buried ammunition and food warehouses. As a result of a direct hit from a BETAB-500 aerial bomb, the ammunition exploded and all the terrorists' engineering structures were destroyed.

In the area of ​​the village of KWEIZER, ALEPPO province, a Su-24M aircraft struck a military equipment base of militants. As a result of a direct hit, more than 10 pieces of equipment were destroyed, including 2 tanks and 5 infantry fighting vehicles. A fire started, the shelters in which the equipment was located were completely destroyed.

Our reconnaissance through several channels uncovered a disguised command post for gangs in the mountainous and forested area of ​​IDLib province. After analysis satellite images of this area and conducting aerial reconnaissance by unmanned aerial vehicles, a targeted air strike was carried out on the object. Objective control data confirms the destruction of the protective structures in which the control center was located, as well as the destruction of three units of militant vehicles.

As a result of the actions of our air group, within 24 hours the following were destroyed: 2 militant command posts; ammunition depot in Hama province; 29 terrorist field camps; 23 fortified points and defensive positions with weapons and military equipment.

The Russian Defense Ministry continues to actively work to expand contacts with foreign colleagues. A draft joint interdepartmental document has been prepared on measures to prevent possible incidents in Syrian airspace between military aircraft of Russia and the US-led coalition. This project was promptly sent through established communication channels to the American side. Russian experts are ready to discuss the draft of this document with Pentagon representatives.

The Russian Ministry of Defense also noted: “Demands from IS commanders to replenish weapons reserves have been recorded.” The militants also announced the need to transfer reinforcements from Syrian Raqqa.

“The demands of field commanders to higher headquarters for the urgent replenishment of reserves of ammunition and weapons destroyed by Russian aviation, and the transfer of reinforcements from the province of Raqqa to hold their positions were recorded,”- said the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Air Force attacked a convoy of cars, one of which contained ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

The Egyptian newspaper Akhbar is disseminating information that Iraqi aircraft, after receiving information from the Baghdad anti-terrorism coordination center, attacked a convoy of cars, one of which contained the leader of the Islamic State militants Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Iraqi aircraft struck the motorcade of the leader of a terrorist group in Anbar province. It is reported that al-Baghdadi's motorcade was moving several kilometers from the border with Syria. So far, nothing is known about the fate of the leader of the terrorist group. But it is known that after an airstrike carried out by Iraqi aircraft, American coalition aircraft took off into the air, which, according to Reuters, carried out a series of strikes (the report says seven) in the area of ​​the city of Ramadi - the administrative center of Anbar province, in which Islamic State militants are now operating. For reference: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (real name - Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri al-Husseini al-Samarrai) appeared in international reports back in 2003, when he headed the Iraqi cell of al-Qaeda. In 2005, al-Baghdadi was captured by the Americans and placed in the CIA special prison Camp Bocca. In a special prison, al-Baghdadi met with the commander of American forces in Iraq, Petraeus, who headed the CIA in 2010. In 2009, al-Baghdadi was released "due to the closure of a CIA prison in Iraq." Four years later, al-Baghdadi declared himself “caliph of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.”

Meanwhile, Iran has announced its readiness to launch airstrikes on US military bases. The Iranian government emphasized that it is ready to use missiles to protect the legitimate power of Bashar al-Assad.

The reason for this was the aggravation of the situation in Syria. The Iranian government emphasized that it is ready to use missiles to protect the legitimate power of Bashar al-Assad, reports the Notepad publication.

The commander of the aerospace forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, stressed that these missiles constitute an expanded Iranian military arsenal, while their exact number is kept in the strictest confidence.

Later, the commander of the IRGC Navy, Admiral Ali Fadavi, openly threatened the United States of America, saying that "The United States will learn the result of the Gulf War"

Should Russia leave Syria? The question seems to be rhetorical.

Russian aviation continues to launch missile and bomb attacks on Islamist positions in Syria. Judging by the objective control data presented online National Center defense, and according to the nervous reaction of the West, these strikes are truly targeted and, what is especially noteworthy, accurate, in the sense of effective. What, for example, cannot boast of is the Western coalition, which carried out more than 7 thousand bombings and missile launches, but never stopped the triumphant offensive of the Islamic State groups, prohibited by Russian law.

The fairly high combat effectiveness of the actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) is also evidenced by the fact that militants began to leave their positions and seek refuge outside the theater of operations (theater of operations), for example, in Turkey and Jordan.

Russia has already stated that it does not plan a ground operation in Syria. As for the army of Bashar al-Assad and his allies - the Kurds, Iraqis and the so-called volunteers from Iran, options are possible here. It is possible that the decision to bomb the bombing was made in Moscow so quickly (and also secretly) that potential allies simply did not have time to prepare. Another option is the military-technical weakness of the armed forces of Damascus, which over the four years of confrontation with the Islamic international have lost a good half personnel and military equipment.

As a result, Bashar al-Assad has to be re-armed quickly - in lately The Turkish side notes the very intensive movement of Russian transport (apparently with weapons and military equipment) through the Black Sea straits. But the delight of official Ankara is somehow not observed. Rather, on the contrary, one can read clear disapproval. Which, in general, is not surprising, since Russia’s military activity in the Middle East calls into question the implementation of geopolitical plans not only of Turkey, but of the entire Western world.

One must be infinitely naive to believe that the so-called arab spring, which eventually reached Damascus, was started solely with good intentions to democratize Asia and Africa. Moreover, it is no longer a secret that the Al-Qaeda virus and the Islamic State virus were grown somewhere in secret laboratories at Langley. Moreover, overthrowing Bashar al-Assad is an intermediate task. Main goal– to create in the so-called southern underbelly of Russia a geopolitical formation that would become much more dangerous than American military bases in Eastern Europe and the Baltic countries. Well, in order to give the process a more decent appearance, all this rabble was called the Free Syrian Army (FAS).

But, as it turned out, Islamic radicals do not know how to behave decently - they began to cut off heads on camera and in some places even went out of subordination. In general, in order not to lose face, the Americans had to somehow react and declare war on the Islamic State. But the war turned out to be somewhat strange: in two years, thousands of tons of TNT were spent, and the “Islamic State” didn’t give a damn – it won victory after victory and already controls most of Syria and significant territories in Iraq.

Of course, Moscow understood where all this was going and that Bashar al-Assad, no matter how he was treated, was the only real force that somehow resisted radical Islam in the Middle East. And if we don’t stop him now, it is possible that tomorrow Russia would have to fight the “Islamic State” somewhere in the Astrakhan region.

Moreover, the decision to begin bombing Islamist positions in Syria was made even with some delay. We can say that at the very last moment, because, as it became known, the Western coalition, commanded by the United States, had prepared a decision, following the example of Libya, to declare a no-fly zone over Syria. This means that the Syrian skies would be closed to Russian aviation, and Bashar al-Assad would face the fate of Muammar Gaddafi.

But it happened the way it happened. And, unlike the Western coalition, Russia is now operating in Syria on legally- at the official request of Damascus. Moreover, as already noted, it works quite effectively. At least as far as airstrikes are concerned.

There are times when it is truly better to remain silent than to speak. The British Financial Times, which reported that Russia's military intervention in the Syrian conflict was predetermined by Western plans to create a no-fly zone over Syria - allegedly the leadership of the Western coalition was close to reaching an agreement to close the skies to Syrian aviation - clearly neglected this golden rule. If the passage about the no-fly zone is not an attempt after the fact to distort Moscow’s true goals in the conflict in the Middle East, then it turns out that the real enemy of the West in the Syrian theater of operations is not the Islamic State, but Damascus, which is de facto the main enemy of the Islamists in land front. It would be enough to pin Bashar al-Assad’s aviation, which is already not very active, to the ground, and the radicals would gain complete military superiority.

Russia, of course, would not be happy with this option; there is no point in discussing it. But no one expected that Moscow would act so decisively and mix all the cards...

Although we have to admit that the confusion of the West, primarily the United States, passed quite quickly after the start of Russian bombing. At first, the White House, albeit with restraint, welcomed Russia's joining the fight against Islamists and even seemed to accept that Moscow would act independently. But soon the United States adjusted its position. “To be honest, for now we see a Russian decision to take military action in Syria and intervene in civil war between Assad and the moderate opposition. We directly view this as strategic mistake"said US State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

The crew of a Russian bomber is preparing to carry out a combat mission. Photo from the official website of the Russian Ministry of Defense

It would be good if Mr. Toner also suggested how to distinguish this most moderate opposition from the Islamic State militants on the battlefield. It is unlikely that the Americans themselves are capable of this, since, as experience shows, the Free Syrian Army (SAS) fighters they trained en masse and with the weapons they received in their hands usually immediately leave the training centers for the Islamists. Nevertheless, the Supreme Commander of the US Army, Barack Obama, is betting heavily on this phantom army.

According to the New York Times, President Obama, sharply criticized by Republicans and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for inaction, in the near future intends to initiate a general offensive by coalition forces led by America on the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State. As noted, during the announced ground operation, the focus will be on 20 thousand Kurdish militias and about 5 thousand fighters of the moderate Syrian opposition, who “will receive support from the coalition forces’ aviation.” With the “moderates” everything is clear - it’s difficult to bet on something that does not exist in nature. There is also an issue with the Kurds. They do not favor Bashar Assad, but they are forced to act together with him against the Islamists. But it’s not very clear what they can negotiate with the Americans if the US’s closest ally, Turkey, ironizes the Kurds with bombs and artillery from time to time.

Speaking of Turkey, which has already joined the information war against Russia. First of all, we are talking about Ankara’s overly nervous reaction to episodes when our planes accidentally flew into Turkish airspace for a few seconds. On this occasion, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has already called our ambassador to the carpet twice. I also had to report to the official representative of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, who clearly reported: “This incident is a consequence of unfavorable weather conditions in this area (in the area of ​​the Khmeimim airfield, from where our aviation operates - "NVO"). We should not look for any conspiracy reasons here." But on the Turkish side there is some conspiracy aspect, since the party to which President Recep Erdogan belongs is the same "Muslim Brotherhood", only a side view, and these same "brothers" in “Islamic State” has more than enough. Who is able to maintain restraint when Russian aviation is targeting its own?..

And in general, they are trying to shoot down our pilots in different ways. For example, there is active talk that in the conflict zone any day now there will be modern systems Malware (which, unfortunately, is not excluded). Moreover, photos of supposedly downed Russian planes have already appeared in cyberspace. In the meantime, there is no confirmation, various experts, including our compatriots, are spreading rumors that the weapons of our aviation are outdated and ineffective.

True, you can’t tell this from the picture showing burning Islamist tanks. Most likely, RBK-500U aviation cassettes equipped with self-aiming combat elements (SPBE) could have been used here. 15 submunitions are scattered from the cassette over the concentration zone of armored vehicles. As soon as the SPBE infrared sensor detects the target, a command is issued to detonate the warhead - and a kilogram piece of copper is shot toward the target at the speed of a meteorite. No dynamic protection will save you! Moreover, this ammunition is actually more than 20 years old. But it was constantly modernized (see "NVO" dated 09/05/08) and, as one can see, it copes well with its destructive task.

There is an opinion that any development of the situation in the Middle East is suitable for the West. If Moscow had not intervened and the Islamists had been given the opportunity to defeat the army of Bashar Assad (it was believed that only a few months remained before the fall of Damascus), Russia would have been the next target of the Islamic State. However, the option of Russia being drawn into the Middle East war also suits the United States and its partners quite well. It is already obvious that the fighting in the Syrian theater of operations will not end quickly and material costs, taking into account the sanctions and the state of the Russian economy, will be sensitive. To what extent, this directly depends on how quickly the combat capability of the Syrian army and regional formations that support Damascus can be brought to the required level. It is impossible not to take into account the fact that the West, of course, will put a spoke in our wheels at the first opportunity. And the fact that we are not partners in this war and no coalition following the example of the anti-Hitler one will work is already a historical fact.

However, while the situation in Syria is so uncertain, there is no reason for Russia to leave it. At least in the foreseeable future. Firstly, as soon as Syria is left without our support, everything will repeat itself - if not the Islamic State, then a terrorist entity with a different name (the West will come up with which one!) will try to take revenge. Secondly, after in Syria, along with the almost abandoned logistics point in Tartus, by force of circumstances, our powerful air base was also formed, Russia had a real opportunity to control, if not the entire Mediterranean, then certainly its eastern part. And so far we cannot oppose anything else to the US 6th Fleet in this region.

The war in Syria will inevitably determine the fate of the global economy

Economists warn of an approaching global financial crisis, which can only be prevented by a war with global repercussions. This title is claimed by the Syrian conflict, which can be considered “global”, because all world powers are involved in it. And Russia’s goal is not only the fight against terrorism, but also participation in the post-war distribution of trophies, Mil2.es believes.

Throughout history, war and economics have gone hand in hand. International economic analyzes show that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between these two processes: the means of military clashes influence the “economic temperature,” writes Enrique Montanches for Mil2.es.

Economists are warning that an unprecedented financial crisis is approaching: the dollar and oil that "fuel the engine of the global economy" are showing "signs of noticeable fatigue." The US is already predicting that the revival of the currency is possible only through a war with global resonance. According to The Economist magazine, the financial system is bursting at the seams, and today it is no longer enough to print “rivers of money” to save the situation.

In this context, the author of the article is concerned about the wars in Syria and Iraq, which since the beginning of October have become “global”, uniting all the world powers on one battlefield. Montanchez is convinced that Putin is ahead of Obama here: after a year and a half of US bombing, the US barely weakened the Islamic State, and the “Russian bear” changed the course of the war in just a few days. Russia’s goal is not only to prevent a jihad invasion of its territory, but also to take part in the post-war “distribution,” the Spanish publicist is convinced.

Montanchez believes that “we live in a mirage of military cooperation that will last until the destruction of the Islamic State.” The only question is how, upon completion of military operations, the great powers will divide the Middle East and its resources among themselves. Or the economic collapse will turn into a weapon that will influence the course of this “world” war. “Exciting months ahead,” says Spanish publicist ironically

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The situation in the East remains tense. What is really happening in Syria now in 2018 is covered by all the world news. The civil confrontation that began in 2011 escalated into a real war. Majority large countries somehow involved in the conflict. Based on the latest news, there is no talk of imminent reconciliation.

Chemical strike

In early April, a chemical attack was carried out on the province of Idlib. A video recording of footage from the scene of the attack spread throughout the Internet. The world media immediately reported the deaths of civilians. The West immediately accused the Assad regime of involvement in this attack. In turn, the Syrian government does not admit its guilt; moreover, it questions the chemical strike itself. The government says operations have been carried out to destroy terrorist ammunition depots. It is possible that chemical weapons were also stored in these warehouses.

On April 9, a meeting of the UN Security Council was urgently convened. The meeting was attended by representatives of the United States and 8 other countries, who spoke sharply about the situation in Syria. It is worth noting that French President Macron warned at the beginning of March about the impossibility of using chemical weapons. His address stated that if it was used, France would retaliate against Syrian territory.

TO active actions called several significant Republicans and Trump. The US government was considering the option of withdrawing American troops from Syria.

In an appeal to the president, parliamentarians recommended that he reconsider this issue. Meanwhile, Trump himself blamed the Kremlin for the victims of the chemical attack. According to him, part of the blame lies with Russia due to the fact that it supports the policies of Bashar al-Assad.

Donald Trump believes that his predecessor, Barack Obama, is also to blame for what happened. In his Twitter appeal, he argues that Obama should have crossed the line and ended the "Syrian disaster." The US President is confident that he will not make the same mistake and will see the matter through to the end.

Meanwhile, the Syrian government and its allies are responding to Western attacks. The Iranian Foreign Minister is confident that the statement by the United States and European countries is a conspiracy against the regime in Syria. His address says that the West is making its statements in order to be able to strike at Syrian territory.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an appeal calling the Western statement a provocation and a cover for terrorists.

It is necessary to prove that what is actually happening in Syria now, according to the news of 2018, is the work of the state government. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that it has irrefutable evidence that Great Britain is involved in organizing a provocation in Syria.

The West has begun to act

To be able to retaliate with a strike against Syria, the West must prove the existence of a chemical attack and the involvement of the Assad regime in it. Without waiting for the results of the audit, the US President ordered a strike on CAP. stated that the video of the chemical attack is evidence of a violation of the agreements that were signed in 2017. Great Britain and France are joining the ongoing operation. The missile strike on Syria was carried out on April 14 at 4.50.

110 missiles were aimed at both military and civilian targets. The military selected targets that were declared to be ammunition depots and chemical weapons development sites. Syrian troops independently repulsed the missiles with their air defense systems. It is known that the territories that are under the protection of the Russian military were not shelled.

The rocket attack lasted for an hour. But already at 7 am the residents of Damascus came out to a rally. With their spontaneous action, they decided to demonstrate that they will continue to fight against ISIS terrorists.

At the same time, most world powers supported the actions of the United States and allies. The governments of Canada and Turkey expressed their approval. Russia and a number of other countries expressed condemnation. The Kremlin demands that the issue of the legality of Trump’s actions be resolved at a UN meeting. Also, according to the latest news, what is happening in Syria now, in April 2018, was actually condemned by US congressmen. By his actions, Donald Trump violated the American Constitution. By law, the president had to obtain the consent of the majority of parliamentarians before starting shelling of Syria.

Trump himself said in his order that the strike on Syria should be so powerful that it would affect the state’s allies, Russia and Iran. According to official information, 3 people died from the impact. It has been officially confirmed that Syria was warned of the impending attack. Therefore, it was possible to reduce the number of victims to a minimum. Missile strikes were carried out on empty objects.

The situation in Syria today clearly shows us what could happen to our country in the absence of a nuclear shield. It is no longer a secret to anyone that the “Syrian opposition” is a fact of thugs-rapists, militants from Al-Qaeda and Western special forces. As in Libya, these armed gangs act together to “lead the country to freedom and democracy.” Of course, all these big words are empty. There is a fierce struggle for power.

The information war launched against Syria with the help of the same “world” media, after a series of failures of the Western propaganda machine in Libya, shows us how biased TV channels and other sources of information form a negative image of the legitimate government in the eyes of European and American citizens.

How to understand where is the truth and where is the lie? Can the BBC, CNN or Al Jazeera deceive people around the world to serve the geopolitical interests of their patrons, or are they actually acting objectively and impartially, preaching the ideals of “freedom and democracy”?

Another litmus test for us was the voice of the Russian diaspora in Syria. The question of who to really believe - radical militants or our compatriots who, by the will of fate, live in Damascus - is not even worth it.

Among the “Syrian opposition” there are not only militants and terrorists, but also, as it turns out, talking heads. Of course, receiving funding and weapons from the West, with every fiber of their soul, if any, they hate Russia, which supports Bashar al-Assad in this difficult struggle.

Pay attention to his rhetoric. Doesn't remind you of anything?

The so-called “world community,” with the help of handy media, launched another campaign to harass the Assad government, in absentia attributing all these victims to his account.

Although even UN representatives are sure that everything is far from so simple:

The vast majority of those killed in Syria city ​​of Hula became victims of executions carried out militants, the agency reports on Tuesday, May 29 AFP. As a result of artillery and tank attacks government shelling killed less 20 out of 108 people, a spokesman said in Geneva UN Human Rights Council Rupert Colville.

Another typical example of an information war.

But let's return to the Russian diaspora. I had the opportunity to correspond with Natalya, who told us how things really are in Syria:

And today Natalya asks everyone to join the Russian diaspora in Syria and sign the online petition:

Dear friends of Syria!
In brotherly Syria, signatures are being collected for this letter.
It started in Russia too.
If you would like to sign it, please provide your first and last name.

To the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
To the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia S.V. Lavrov

Dear Sergey Viktorovich!
We, the Russian people who are in Syria, turn to you with a request for protection.
What is happening around Syria now is a brutal information war that threatens to develop into a real one.
What happened in the Syrian village of Hula is nothing more than a carefully planned provocation designed to bring new sanctions on Syria, including foreign intervention.

You say: both sides are to blame for what happened. But that's not true. The tragedy that took place in the village of Hula is not the fault of the Syrian army.

The village of Khula, according to the terms of the truce, was under the control of the armed opposition, and there was no army there. There were five Syrian army checkpoints around the village. And at about 2 p.m., these checkpoints were attacked by armed opposition fighters so that Syrian soldiers could not come to the aid of the residents of Hula and were forced to hold the line. The warriors fought steadfastly, but the forces were unequal, and they were captured and brutally tortured by the militants.

At this time, terrorists carried out a massacre and killed dozens of people in Houla. All those killed were civilians, men, women and children, and belonged to three large Syrian families. These families were completely slaughtered.

If we assume that these families were killed during shelling, then how can shelling kill so selectively?

We believe that these were civilians who were loyal to the legitimate Syrian government.

All the dead had either bullet wounds or stab wounds. What kind of artillery shelling, what kind of tank shelling can we talk about?

Understand that it is pointless to try to put pressure on the Syrian authorities to carry out Kofi Annan's plan. Because the Syrian authorities and personally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are doing everything to fulfill this plan. And we, living in Syria, confirm this.

And the armed opposition is doing everything to thwart Kofi Annan’s plan. Thus, since the announcement of the truce, opposition gangs have committed more than three thousand crimes.

The Syrian army, carrying out Kofi Ananna's plan, found itself constrained in its actions and cannot always give an adequate response to terrorists and militants.
Please note that not a single atrocity of the armed opposition drew condemnation from the West. The West has never sympathized with the victims of these militant crimes. No one in the West demanded the convening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council when a terrible terrorist attack took place in Damascus on May 10, in which more than 60 people, including children, were killed.

But just because of the slander about the alleged “involvement of the Syrian army” in the killings in Houla, a meeting of the UN Security Council is urgently convened, at the request of England and France. The Syrian army and the country's leadership are declared to be the “culprits” of the incident, although no investigation has yet taken place.
We support your demand for a thorough investigation into the Houla tragedy.

WE are like all people goodwill, demands the punishment of criminals and those who stand behind them, who arm them and give orders for new attacks and terrorist attacks. These are the forces that are trying to thwart Kofi Annan's plan
The people of Syria have great hope for Great Russia. That Russia will not allow the cruel NATO scenarios that led to the death of Yugoslavia and the Libyan Jamahiriya to be repeated in Syria.

We call on the Russian leadership to seek an investigation into the crimes committed in the village of Hula, not to join the chorus of Western voices directed against the Syrian Republic and its leadership, but to provide assistance to the Syrian people and their legal representatives full support in the fight against terrorist groups that have infiltrated Syrian soil, to protect Syria from Western sanctions.

We ask you to take all measures to, together with other peace-loving countries, stop the escalation of NATO military preparations against the Syrian Republic, which could lead to disaster and the death of innocent people.

Russian people, as if they were in Syria,
so do those who sympathize with the people of the fraternal country

I ask everyone who is not indifferent to what is happening in Syria to follow the above link and leave their signature.

The situation around Syria in recent days creates a feeling of an approaching Apocalypse. And this feeling is diligently fueled by experts, looking back in fear every now and then at the shadow of the Third World War that they have seen. The gray lips of analysts, among whom, as usual, there are quite a few couch potatoes, whisper: the world is sitting on a powder keg.

Of course, the tension of the situation is very reminiscent of the events of the 60s of the last century. And columnist Dave Majumdar talks about this, for example, in his publication for the National Interest. But at the same time, it is also more dangerous: over the past decades, the United States has lost the experience of “interacting with another power,” but has acquired the habit of looking down on other states, expecting the immediate execution of any decree coming from Washington.

Today everything is different, of course. The theater of military operations also changed. At the center of events is Syria, whose fate Washington, and with it its loyal allies, really want to decide in its usual manner. At any moment they are ready to launch a full-scale operation against Syrian government forces.

The legitimate Syrian government is supported by Russia and Iran. This causes tense anticipation in the world of a possible direct clash between Russian troops and the armies of the West.

On the night of April 10, an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was held, the topic of which was the state of emergency in the Duma. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said Washington would respond to the attack.

The UN Security Council meeting has not yet led to anything. For now it is suspended for consultations on draft resolutions on the investigation of what happened in the city of Duma. Before this, Russia proposed a resolution to send an OPCW mission there. The day before, the Swedish delegation introduced a similar document. The draft resolution proposed by Russia did not receive support from the UN Security Council. For its part, Russia vetoed the American resolution.

After this, US Permanent Representative to the UN Nikki Haley called on Security Council members to vote against the Russian option or to abstain.

"Our resolutions are similar, but there are also important differences. The key point is that our resolution ensures that any investigations will be truly independent. And the Russian resolution gives Russia itself the chance to select investigators and then evaluate their work," she said she, adding that “there is nothing independent about this.”

What do the US themselves offer? In fact, to establish a special “chemical WADA” under its own leadership.

While spears are breaking in the UN Security Council, Washington is again playing its game according to a scenario that has already been tested in the Syrian crisis, and they did not even bother to rewrite it.

Let's remember April 2017. The Syrian opposition claims a chemical attack allegedly carried out in the north of the country, in the settlement of Khan Sheikhoun. The Syrian government forces have been named as the perpetrators of the attack, but in response they strongly deny the accusations and place responsibility on the militants and their patrons.

An investigation into the chemical attack has not yet been conducted, and no real evidence of the guilt of the Syrian authorities has been presented. However, three days later, on the night of April 7, Trump almost single-handedly decides to launch a missile strike on the Syrian military airbase of Shayrat. According to the Pentagon, a total of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US Navy ships and submarines.

And even after this raid, despite the fact that official Damascus has repeatedly offered all possible assistance in investigating the events in Khan Sheikhoun and ensuring the safety of a group of experts during their visit to the Shayrat base, where ammunition with chemical weapons were allegedly stored, the experts did not visit Syria no objects suspected of being linked to a chemical attack in Idlib province.

And now, a year later, the situation is repeated almost exactly like a carbon copy. Again, accusations of chemical attacks - now two.

The White Helmets organization (this notorious organization again!) reported that in Duma, controlled by the Jaysh al-Islam group, as a result of a chemical attack on April 7, 70 people were killed and thousands were injured. According to them, bombs containing sarin or chlorine were dropped by Syrian Air Force helicopters. Let us note this point in the margins - the T4 and Dumeir helicopter bases in southern Syria, in light of this accusation, may well become targets of a US strike.

In the meantime, a day later, in the Syrian province of Homs, the government airfield "Tifor" (T4) was attacked. The Russian military said the airstrike was carried out by the Israeli Air Force.

The United States declares its confidence that a chemical substance was used in the Syrian Duma, but cannot yet say exactly what kind, but Bashar Assad and Russia are to blame for this, which “did not control it.”

Donald Trump takes the floor again and says that within 48 hours he will decide what the US response will be. And how the American military knows how to respond is well known...

Journalists from the presidential pool manage to ask Trump a question: does he blame Putin for what is happening in Syria? "Yes, he may (be responsible). And if he is (responsible), it will be very, very tough," Trump threatened. “Everyone will pay for this, he will pay, everyone will pay,” the US President said. By “everyone,” of course, we mean Russia and Iran.

And all this - against the backdrop of repeated warnings from the Russian side that the militants being squeezed out of Syria, as well as the parties supporting them (they were not named out loud, but it was clear who they were talking about) were preparing provocations of this kind.

About provocations with the use of chemical weapons and new more strong blows The United States began talking seriously about Damascus after the start of a military operation by the Syrian army to liberate Eastern Ghouta from terrorists in the suburbs of Damascus.

The West did not pay attention to the fact that in early March they announced that they had discovered a laboratory for the production of chemical weapons in a territory liberated from terrorists. locality Aftris, on March 13, the Syrian military found a laboratory and a warehouse with toxic substances in the settlement of Shefonia.

The Russian Ministry of Defense and the Syrian government denied reports of a chemical attack in Duma, calling them fake and a provocation. The heads of Western countries did not believe Russia. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson recalled the unfulfilled Russian commitments of 2013 - to ensure that Syria renounces the use of chemical weapons and completely destroys them on the country's territory.

And this despite the fact that back in 2014, Syria’s entire chemical arsenal was removed from the country under the control of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Now almost everything suggests that the conflict in Syria is about to move from the cold to the hot stage. Reuters experts, all as one, report Washington’s plans to strike the Russian Khmeimim airbase in Syria. And the White House itself stated that the Khmeimim airfield is the starting point for bombing in Eastern Ghouta in violation of the truce.

In addition, Trump’s unpredictability - either his statements about the need to withdraw American troops from Syria, or the outbreak of a new round of escalation around the Syrian problem, may ultimately lead to the fact that the President of the United States, against the backdrop of a worsening domestic political crisis around himself, may "drag America into war."

The parties considered various options, including a massive strike, exceeding in strength the attack on the Shayrat air base in April 2017. It is clarified that none of the leaders of the three countries has made a firm decision on this issue.

British Prime Minister Theresa May told Trump that London needed "more evidence of a possible chemical attack in Syria before it could join in striking the country. Thus, May refused to participate in the “quick retribution,” she found out.

On April 10, French President Macron said that if a decision is made on a military strike on Syria, the main targets will be the chemical facilities of the Syrian authorities, the strikes will not be aimed at allies of the Syrian government or specific individuals, and the final decision on a possible forceful response to the “chemical attack” will be accepted in the coming days.

And this question has already become a subject of discussion for experts: what objects could be targeted by the United States and its allies? Could this be Assad's residence, located remotely from residential buildings? This option may look like a “slap in the face” to the Syrian leader. In the event of a massive raid, air defense forces will not be able to cope with air targets.

Various sources report that NATO naval ships armed with more than six hundred SLCMs (sea-launched cruise missiles) are concentrated in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Recall that three operations to invade Iraq and one into Afghanistan began with a strike cruise missiles from the above mentioned water areas.

What does such a concentration of forces mean? There is only one thing: intervention in Syria can begin just a couple of hours after receiving the corresponding order. And the world saw what the result of such a massive missile and air strike could be in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq. The main goal is to destroy important infrastructure and suppress the resistance of the defenders.

By the way, in 2016, information appeared that the United States and NATO were already preparing a similar operation for Syria, but did not dare to implement it.

While in different offices and on different levels deciding what tomorrow might become, there is still an opportunity to look at it from the outside. According to some analysts, Syria today is the only place where Russia is trying to extinguish the “enthusiasm of warmongers.”

And it seems to some, apparently, that this is the permitted place for “war games,” and that’s why everyone plays.