Russia shoots down drone attacking military base in Syria
Russian air defenses successfully thwarted a drone attack on an airbase in eastern Syria.
According to Russian military officials, the base is operating normally and the incident did not cause any damage or casualties. Video circulating on social media shows the target being hit by a Russian missile exploding in the sky above Hmeymim airfield, creating a fireball in the dark night.
After being pushed out of most of Syria, Islamist rebel groups have increasingly used UAVs to spy on and attack Russian and Syrian military targets. In early January, Russian air defenses also neutralized 13 UAVs of rebel groups in Idlib province that were planning to drop explosives on the Hmeymim air base and the Tartus logistics facility.
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Location of Russia's Hmeymim airbase in Syria. Graphics:BBC. |
Moscow technical experts say rebel UAVs are now capable of attacking from a distance of 100 km thanks to the use of modern GPS-based navigation technology.
Russia began its military campaign in Syria in late September 2015. With the support of the Russian air force, the Syrian army has liberated 98% of the territory from Islamist rebel groups over the past two years.
Despite partially withdrawing its forces from Syria, Russia still maintains a long-term presence at two bases, the port of Tartus and the Hmeymim airport, to carry out international missions in the future.
