Amid War In Ukraine, Foreign Powers Remain Active In Syria
South Front, Jul 8 2022
Foreign powers remain deeply involved in the Syrian war, despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Recently there have been several military developments involving Russia, Turkey, Israel and the US in the war-torn country. Russia continues to be the main foreign player in Syria. On Jul 6, this was demonstrated when warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out a series of airstrikes on positions of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and its allies in the northwestern region of Greater Idlib. Ten airstrikes hit militant’s positions in the outskirts of the towns of Ruweiha, Beinin, Sarjah and Shnan in the southern countryside of Idlib. At least one militant was killed. The airstrikes were likely a message to the Turkish military and its proxies who continue their preparations for a new operation against the SDF in northern and northeastern Syria. On Jul 6, the Turkish military deployed an unknown number of T-155 Fırtına 155 mm self-propelled howitzers in the northern countryside of Aleppo. The howitzers entered the region through the Bab al-Salamah border crossing. On the same day, the SDF’s Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria declared a “state of emergency.” Turkey is still determined to go on with its military plans. The new operation against the SDF may begin after the end of Eid al-Adha on Ju 13.
Meanwhile, Israel remains active in Syria’s southern region. Also on Jul 6, a fighter of the National Defense Forces was killed as a result of an Israeli drone strike on the governorate of al-Quneitra. The fighter, identified as Farid Fouad Mustafa, was carrying out regular tasks in the al-Hadi quarries, an area located to the west of the town of Hadar and right along the separation line with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, when he was targeted by an Israeli drone. The deadly drone strike on Hadar indicates that Israel is not only trying to step up its attacks on Syria, but also to diversify the means it uses to carry out such attacks. The US has been also active in southern Syria, mainly in the area of al-Tanf where it maintains a large garrison. On Jul 6, the US-led coalition and its proxy, the Revolutionary Commando Army, announced that they had held a new joint live-fire exercise in the area. The joint exercise saw US troops firing a number of precision-guided rockets from M142 HIMARS launchers. The exercise was likely meant as a message to Russia, who recently increased its reconnaissance sorties over the al-Tanf garrison’s no-fly zone. Despite the recent military developments, a conflict between foreign powers in Syria remains highly unlikely. All sides understand the risks of escalation.
Ukrainian Forces Hit Kakhovka Power Station In Kherson Region
South Front, Jul 8 2022
On the morning of Jul 8, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a missile attack on the hydroelectric power station in the town of Novaya Kakhovka in the Kherson region. Victims were reported as a result of the shelling. According to deputy head of the Kherson military-civil administration Kirill Stremousov, the air defense managed to repel the attack and prevent the station from going out of order. All the rockets fell nearby, near the power station. The dam is not threatened. The exact number of victims was not revealed, the rubble is being sorted. The local authorities also declared that there is no threat to the North Crimean Canal through which water enters the peninsula.
Footage from the area confirmed that the dam was not damaged.
Ukrainian artillery continues shelling the Kherson region which came under Russian control, in particular the towns of Novaya Kakhovka, Skadovsk and the city of Kherson. The targets are civilian facilities and residential areas. Russian artillery and aviation strike Ukrainian military positions back.
Victim Describes Crimes Of Ukrainian Nazis In LPR
South Front, Jul 8 2022
Kiev Launched Media Battle For Snake Island And Lost
South Front, Jul 8 2022
Another battle took place on Zmeiny Island on Jul 7. On Jul 4 Natalia Humenyuk, head of the Joint Coordinating Press Center of the Defense Forces in the South of Ukraine, claimed that the Ukrainian flag was raised over the island and the territory came under Kiev’s control. These claims were spread by Ukrainian media supported by archived photos. Later on the same day, Ms Humenyuk was obliged to clarify that her words should be taken metaphorically. In fact, the flag was just thrown from a helicopter and was “waiting for Ukrainian servicemen to raise it.” She claimed that no-one would sacrifice the lives of Ukrainian servicemen for a photo with the flag. However, her claims were ignored by the Ukrainian media and Kiev’s officials. Amid a large media campaign launched by the Kiev regime, a special operation was launched on the island to finally raise the flag. The risky operation aimed at taking a photo and claiming another groundless victory failed and resulted in deaths of Ukrainian servicemen.
On Jul 7, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported:
Against the background of military failures and the mass retreat of Ukrainian troops in the Donbass, the Kiev regime attempted to symbolically deliver the flag to Zmeiny island tonight. At about 5 am, Ukrainian soldiers landed on the island from a motor boat and took pictures with the flag. Russian aircraft immediately launched a missile strike on the island. As a result, some of the Ukrainian servicemen were destroyed, the rest fled in the direction of Primorskoye in the Odessa region.
The Kiev regime has paid a high price for another fake victory. The island remains in the so-called gray zone after the Russian military left it. At the same time, Kiev’s forces cannot land there and establish any military positions as the area is under control of the Russian Black Sea fleet and the Aerospace Forces.
Ukrainian Helicopters Burn Harvest In Kherson Region
South Front, Jul 8 2022
Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters were spotted firing jamming cartridges on the fields in the southern Kherson region. Unable to perform any military operations on the front lines, the Ukrainian Air Forces are busy setting wheat fields on fire. The strategy of the Ukrainian military has been clear since the very beginning of the military operations in the country. Ukrainian soldiers have proven their impotence to fight the Russian army. When losing territories, the Kiev regime attempts to cause as much damage as possible. That’s why the retreating Armed Forces of Ukraine are always massively shelling the settlements they lost in the Donbass and other regions, Ukrainian artillery is pounding civilians in Donetsk and other towns nearby, and that’s why Ukrainian helicopters burn fields with harvest in the regions under Russian control.
Niqnaq 