Joint military exercises of the armed forces of Russia and the SAR began in Syria. This was reported by the Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties (CPVS).

"On July 5, joint Russian-Syrian exercises begin in Syria, which will last six days," the report said.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation clarified that during the exercises, "issues of joint actions of aviation, air defense forces and means and electronic warfare in repelling air attack strikes" will be carried out.

Such trainings are conducted regularly by the Russian and Syrian military. So, in April of this year, units of the Syrian special forces and crews of the Russian Aerospace Forces, during exercises in the province of Hama, conducted an offensive operation on the positions of conditional terrorists.

As part of the maneuvers, the crews of the Su-24 of the Russian Aerospace Forces, together with Syrian artillery, attacked critical targets of the conditional enemy, after which the airborne assault of the 25th Special Forces Division "Tigers" of the SAR Armed Forces landed in the operation zone.

  • Syrian and Russian military during exercises in October 2022
  • AFP
  • © SANA

In the summer of 2022, Russian-Syrian aviation exercises were held in the SAR, during which the crews of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Syrian Air Force repelled an attack by a mock enemy.

From Russia, the Su-24M front-line bomber, the Su-34 front-line fighter-bomber and the Su-35S fighters took part in the exercises. The Syrian Air Force, in turn, was represented by MIG-23ML and MIG-29 fighters.

Exercises in the SAR are also conducted for sanitary units. So, in December 2021, military doctors of the special purpose medical detachment (MOSS) of the Russian group of troops in Syria conducted training on the reception of conditionally wounded in the northeastern Syrian village of Qamishli.

In addition, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are training the Syrian military. So, in April 2022, Russian specialists conducted comprehensive classes for Syrian engineering units. In particular, the use of the UR-83P demining installation was practiced.

"We managed to preserve statehood"

Recall that in the fall of 2015, Russia, at the request of the Syrian government, launched a military operation in the SAR. Its goal was called the fight against terrorist groups, which by that time controlled most of the territory of the Arab Republic. The legitimate government of Syria held only the coastal zone and the areas around Damascus. At the same time, battles with militants were already conducted in the suburbs of the capital.

During the special operation, the Russian Aerospace Forces used Su-25SM attack aircraft, Su-24M front-line bombers, Su-27, Su-30SM, Su-35 fighters, Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic missile carriers, as well as Mi-8, Mi-28N, Mi-24P and Ka-52 helicopters.

Strikes against terrorists were also carried out by ships of the Russian Navy with the help of Kalibr cruise missiles.

  • A Russian pilot is preparing to take off from the Khmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia on a Su-35S fighter
  • RIA Novosti
  • © Ramil Sitdikov

In addition, the Special Operations Forces (MTR) were involved in combat missions in Syria. As noted in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, "one of the main tasks assigned to the MTR servicemen" was to conduct "reconnaissance and search operations to detect camouflaged command posts, accumulations of manpower and equipment of terrorists."

In addition to the destruction of terrorists and the support of the Syrian armed forces, the Russian military was faced with the task of establishing coordination between all armed formations that fought on the side of the SAR government, writes the weekly Zvezda. This task was solved by creating a control system in the fall of 2015, into which all forces allied to Damascus were integrated.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation paid much attention to the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian population and the demining of the territories liberated from militants.

At the end of 2017, the Russian leadership announced the completion of the operation in Syria, and on December 18, 2018, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the withdrawal of the main grouping of the Russian Armed Forces from the republic. At the same time, Russian bases continued to function in the SAR - in Khmeimim and Tartus - the number of which was reduced to the established staff.

According to analysts, the result of the operation of the RF Armed Forces in Syria was the defeat of terrorist groups, including the IG *. As Sergei Shoigu said in 2018, 96% of the country's territory was liberated from gangs.

In 2020, the Minister of Defense said that as a result of the strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces, more than 133 thousand terrorist facilities were destroyed, including illegal oil refining plants, and 865 leaders of gangs and more than 133 thousand militants were liquidated, 4.5 thousand of whom were immigrants from Russia and the CIS countries.

At the same time, weapons were not the only means of resolving the situation in Syria. For example, in the spring and summer of 2018, thanks to the efforts of the Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Parties, it was possible to return the suburbs of Damascus, eastern Ghouta, eastern Qalamoun and Yarmouk, the northern regions of the province of Homs, as well as the provinces of As-Suwayda, Daraa and Al-Quneitra under the control of the Syrian government army without the use of force.

The result of Russian efforts to resolve the conflict in the SAR was also the gradual normalization of relations between the SAR and the Middle Eastern states, some of which, according to experts, supported the groups that fought with the government in the Syrian conflict.

So, in May 2023, the foreign ministers of the League of Arab States (LAS) approved the return of Syria to this organization. Damascus' membership in it was suspended in 2011.

In 2023, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In April of this year, the media also reported that the authorities of the SAR and Egypt began preliminary negotiations on the full restoration of diplomatic relations, which were severed more than ten years ago.

In addition, in May of this year, a meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Syria, Iran and Turkey was held in Moscow. According to experts, these negotiations opened the way to the normalization of relations between Damascus and Ankara, which is one of the main parties to the conflict in the SAR.

According to Alexei Podberezkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Studies at MGIMO, Russia has made a decisive contribution to stabilizing the situation in Syria.

"Without Russia's participation, the Assad government would not have survived, even with the help of Iran," the analyst said in a conversation with RT.

A similar point of view is shared by the military observer, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin.

"Russia's role in the Syrian settlement is very large. Thanks to Russia, it was possible to preserve the statehood of Syria, as well as defeat the IG and other terrorist groups that occupied most of the country. It is thanks to Russia's help in Syria that a normal, peaceful life is now being established, "the expert said in a commentary to RT.

"Washington continues to supply weapons"

According to analysts, despite the successes achieved in the process of resolving the conflict in Syria, military threats in the country remain. That is why, experts say, the Russian and Syrian military continue to work out joint actions to repel attacks.

"The training is being conducted so that the Russian Federation and the SAR together can counter the threats that still remain in Syria today. Despite progress in the settlement, the threat of destabilization in Syria has not disappeared. After all, there are remnants of gangs, as well as American troops who are illegally in the country. The problem of Turkey and the Kurds has not disappeared yet, "Viktor Litovkin believes.

  • U.S. military in Syria, June 2023
  • AFP
  • © Delil souleiman

The continuing threats in the SAR were also mentioned in the statement of the CPVS. Thus, according to the center, the Russian military continues to record individual cases of violations of the ceasefire regime in the Idlib de-escalation zone. The report of the CPVS dated April 4 referred to three attacks on the positions of the Syrian government forces by the terrorist groups "Jabhat al-Nusra" ** and "Islamic Party of Turkestan" ***. In addition, shelling was carried out in the provinces of Aleppo and Latakia.

The CPVS report also expressed concern about the systematic violations of the "deconfliction protocols" of the US-led international anti-terrorist coalition, which carries out UAV flights in the airspace over the northern regions of Syria.

"The increase in the number of non-deconflicting flights leads to an escalation of tension and does not contribute to mutual and constructive cooperation. We remind you that the Russian side is not responsible for the safety of uncoordinated flights of unmanned aerial vehicles, "the CPVS said.

As Alexei Podberezkin notes, US ambitions in Syria create tension in the republic. Under these conditions, Moscow and Damascus need to work to increase the combat capability of their forces in the SAR, the analyst said.

"Joint military exercises of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the SAR need to be held, because recently the United States has increased ambitions in Syria. Washington continues to supply weapons to gangs, train and finance them. More than 90% of the country's territory has been cleared of terrorists, but the remaining non-government-controlled zones can be expanded. This is the task of the Americans now, "the expert concluded.

* "Islamic State" (IG, ISIS) - the organization is recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 29.12.2014.

** "Jabhat al-Nusra" ("Hayat Tahrir al-Sham", "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham", "Al-Nusra Front") is an organization recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 29.12.2014.

The Islamic Party of Turkestan (formerly the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan) is an organization recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 14.02.2003.