US denies attacking Hmeymim

Sputnik news agency on October 26 quoted a statement from the US-led anti-terrorist military coalition denying all of Russia's accusations that the UAV attack on Russia's Hmeymim airbase in southwestern Latakia province, Syria in early 2018 was directly controlled by the US.

"Russia's assertion that the United States or coalition forces played a role in an attack on a Russian base in Syria is without basis in fact and completely irresponsible," coalition spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan said.

Although the US has officially denied the accusations made by Russia, it has not provided any convincing evidence to prove that Russia's accusations are false, especially the presence of the P-8A not too far from the Hmeymim base at the time of the attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry previously said that 13 rebel UAVs attacked Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria on the night of January 6, all of which were detected and neutralized from a distance. At the same time, a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft continuously operated over the Mediterranean for eight hours.

Seven UAVs were shot down by the Pantsir-S1 air defense system, the remaining six were taken over by Russian electronic warfare forces, of which three were destroyed when they crashed, while the others landed outside the Hmeymim base and were captured by Russia. All of these UAVs are manufactured using high technology, equipped with modern control and bombing systems. Each has a wingspan of 3.5 m, a ceiling of 3.5 km, can carry 10 explosive devices and has an operating range of up to 100 km.