Results of operation of the Russian Armed Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic were discussed at the Army 2017 Forum
Results of operation of the Russian Armed Forces in the Syrian Arab Republic were discussed at the Army 2017 International Military Technical Forum.
Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Colonel General Sergei Rudskoy gave a speech at the roundtable conference.
Speech of Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff
According to appeal of the President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad for providing assistance in fighting against international terrorism as well as decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces dated September 30, 2015, the Russian force grouping launched operation against the ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra international terrorist organizations in the Syrian Arab Republic after informing the interested countries. Combat aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces are the basis of the force grouping.
By the start of the military operation, situation in this country was critical. The government of Syria conducted warfare against terrorism on its own. In fact, units of so-called ‘moderate opposition’ mixed up with the ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra, which had been well-funded, well-armed, and supported by their foreign sponsors.
Terrorists used to control more than 70 per cent of the Syria’s territory, and continued their offensive from all directions.
Actions of the Russian force grouping has significantly damaged control and logistics systems of terrorists. Main weapon and munitions supply routes have been cut out. The terrorist organizations have lost financial income sources from oil trafficking.
Russian aviation performed 28,000 combat sorties, and conducted about 90,000 strikes during the operation in Syria.
Actions of the Russian force grouping allowed the Syrian Arab Army to turn the tide.
Territory controlled by SAA has increased in 4 times (from 19 to 78 thousand square kilometers) since the start of the Russian ASF operation.
Large illegal armed formations near Hama and Homs have been defeated. The Latakia province has been completely liberated from terrorists. Palmyra and Aleppo have been liberated as well. Main highway leading from Damascus to the north of the country has been unblocked.
The government troops have taken oil and gas fields under their control. North-eastern regions of the Aleppo province located to the west from the Lake Assad have been liberated.
In the south of Syria, 181-kilometer section of the Syria-Iraqi border as well as 1950kilometer Syria-Jordanian border in the provinces of al-Suwayda and Damascus have been taken under control of SAA.
Results achieved in fighting against terrorism in Syria made some political actors possess the situation in a new way. This allowed to launch the political settlement process.
As a result of agreements between armed opposition and Syrian government, which had been achieved under the facilitation of Russia and Turkey, ceasefire regime has been established in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Issues of establishing of four de-escalation zones in Syria have been approved in course of the fifth round of negotiations in Astana. De-escalation zones located in the south-west of Syria, in East Ghouta, and to the north from the Homs city are operating successfully. Issues of establishing another zone in the Idlib province are being discussed.
Control over the ceasefire regime observation is carried out by units of Military Police of the Russian Federation.
Establishing of de-escalation zones allowed to cease fire between armed formations of moderate opposition and government troops as well as to stabilize the situation in southern and central areas of Syria.
Main efforts of SAA and Russian Armed Forces grouping are focused on the last ISIS stronghold near Deir ez-Zor.
The ISIS terrorists are concentrating their forces near Deir ez-Zor. Insurgents from Mosul and most battle-ready units have been redeployed there.
Units of SAA and militia supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces are developing their offensive on Deir ez-Zor from three directions. Moreover, a large ISIS grouping has been encircled near Uqayribat. It is being defeated.
Al-Sukhnah has been liberated from ISIS insurgents due to hits of the Russian Aerospace Forces and offensive actions of the government troops.
As decision on providing military assistance to Syria had been taken, deployment of control system of actions held by the Russian force grouping has become the priority task for the General Staff of the Russian Federation.
This system allows the leadership of the Russian Defence Ministry to control the situation and to respond expeditiously.
Moreover, interaction of the leadership of the Russian Defence Ministry between officials of the military departments of the United States of America, Turkey, Office of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General to Syria in Geneva and Damascus, representatives of the Russian Federation in the Syrian Support Group, Centre of operative reaction on ceasefire violations in Geneva as well as representatives of other international organizations.
All this allow to discuss and approve military political issues, exchange opinions about the situation, and organize humanitarian actions in Syria towns and villages.
Moreover, in order to exchange information about situation in the air and prevent incidents, the command staff of the Russian force grouping has organized cooperation with operational centre of the United States in Jordan, air control centre in Qatar, Air Force control centre in Turkey, and command centre in Israel.