US Drones Continue To Harass Russian Warplanes Over Syria
South Front, Jun 29 2024
For the third time in less than a week, an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone of the US-led coalition flew dangerously close to a fighter jet of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria’s airspace, according to the deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria. In a briefing, Maj-Gen Yuri Popov said that the dangerous encounter took place over the central governorate of Homs. He said:
From 11:35 am to 11:46 am local time on Jun 28, a coalition’s MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance combat UAV dangerously approached a Russian Su-35 plane making a planned flight over Syria at an altitude of from 7 km to 8 km. The Russian pilot demonstrated high professionalism and took timely measures to prevent a collision.
Video footage of the encounter surfaced online on the same day. In the footage, the US-led coalition drones appear to be armed and equipped with intelligence gathering systems. Similar aerial encounters were reported by the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria first on Jun 24 and later on Jun 27. The US-led coalition expanded its aerial operations over Syria last year, which led to unprecedented tensions with the Russian side. The coalition’s operations in Syria, which are allegedly directed against ISIS, are not authorized by the country’s government who consider the coalition to be an occupation force. On the other hand, the Russian military operates against ISIS and other terrorist groups in Syria under an agreement with the government. US attempts to expand its aerial operations over Syria will not likely lead to a confrontation with the Russian military. However, this dangerous behavior could eventually cause a serious incident in the country’s airspace.
Over 500 Israeli Armored Vehicles Took Damage In Gaza
South Front, Jun 29 2024
More than 500 armored vehicles of the IOF have been damaged while operating in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip since the start of war last October, Israel’s Maariv reported on Jun 29. According to the Hebrew-language newspaper, dozens of these vehicles had been completely decommissioned and removed from service. To deal with the losses, the IOF established two logistics centers within Gaza to repair the vehicles damaged in fighting with Hamas and other Palestinian armed factions in the Strip. Israel invaded Gaza following the Oct 7 Hamas-led suprise attack, which claimed the lives of some 1.2k Israelis and saw the capture of more than 200 others. Since then, more than 37k Palestinians have been killed and nearly 90k have been wounded in the Strip. Israeli troops responsible for transporting the vehicles are said to be physically and mentally fatigued, Maariv said in its report, adding:
If they are called upon to occupy southern Lebanon, they will be there, but not in their best condition.
Hezbollah and its allies in Lebanon have been launching attacks against the IOF since the start of the war in Gaza. Tensions between the two sides increased over the past few weeks, with fears of an all-out war. The Gaza war has reportedly consumed far more weapons and ammunition than the IDF had initially expected, and usage remains high. Netanyahu and other members of the Israeli government are said to receive weekly updates on the status of military stockpiles. Recently, Netanyahu complained about the number of military shipments sent by the US to the IOF, saying that either the issue should be resolved or Israel will work on procuring weaponry in a more diverse fashion. The IOF material losses are not suprising, considering that Hamas and other factions in Gaza are heavily-armed with anti-armor weapons such as the locally-made Al-Yassin 105 RPG and a wide range of anti-tank guided missiles including Soviet-made Malyutka, Russian-made Kornet, NK-made Bulsae-2 and Chinese-made HJ-8L. Locally-made IEDs also caused much damage to Israeli armour in the Strip. In addition to these material losses, the IOF has so far lost 316 troops during ground operations in Gaza and along its border, with more than 1.9k others wounded. Despite the heavy losses, Netanyahu still shows no real interest in a permanent ceasefire that could end the bloody war and return Israeli hostages in Gaza.
US And Israel Are In Talks To Supply Ukraine With Patriot Systems – Report
South Front, Jun 29 2024
The US, Israel and Ukraine are in talks to provide Kiev forces with up to eight MIM-104 Patriot long-range air defense systems currently owned and used by the IOF, the Financial Times reported on Jun 27, citing several unnamed sources familiar with the matter. According to the report, the systems would likely be transferred from Israel to the US, and only then from there to Ukraine. In April, Israel announced that it planned to phase out all of its Patriot systems within two months. The exact number of the country’s Patriot systems remains unknown. The IOF designation for the Patriot system is Yahalom, or Diamond in Hebrew. Israeli PAC-2 systems have been upgraded to the GEM+ standard which has better performance against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or warplanes in complement to the PAC-3.
Israel didn’t say what will happen to the retired system, but the Kiev regime has for months now been asking for more Patriots to bolster Ukrainian air defenses in the face of increasing Russian drone and missile attacks. Zelensky said that Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to cover the country, but Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he is for now focused on securing just seven batteries to protect Ukraine’s largest cities. Ukraine received last year two Patriot systems and two launchers from Germany and another system from the US with two additional launchers donated by the Netherlands. The systems were a mix of PAC-2 and PAC-3. Most of these systems have been already damaged or destroyed by the Russian military.
In response to Ukrainian demands, Germany confirmed last month that it will supply a third Patriot system to Kiev forces. Around the same time, Spain said that it would provide additional missiles to Kiev forces. Biden also made the decision earlier this month to supply an additional Patriot system to Ukraine. Later, the US announced that it will halt all open orders for Patriot missiles and redirect them to Kiev forces until its defense needs are met. Moreover, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that his country would deliver another 100 Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine in an initiative with Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. Romania also said that it will provide one of its newly acquired systems to Kiev forces.
A Patriot system costs around $1.1b. A single PAC-3 missile costs some $7m and a PAC-2 missile could cost up to $4m, depending on the version. Despite the high cost, the US is likely willing to pay Israel for the systems if it agrees to indirectly supply them to Ukraine. Such a move would be extremely dangerous for Israel as Russia will likely respond by bolstering the defensive and offensive capabilities of Iran and Syria. Still, Israel may take the risk to secure more US support for its ongoing war on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip and a possible offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad Fighters Killed In Israeli Strikes On Southern Lebanon
South Front, Jun 29 2024
A fighter from Hezbollah and another from the al-Quds Brigade, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, were killed in a series of Israeli strikes that targeted southern Lebanon on Jun 28. Lebanese military sources told Xinhua that two fighters were killed when a strike destroyed a three-story house in the town of Kafr Kila. Four civilians were also wounded in the town of Khiam, where seven houses were destroyed and 15 others were damaged by Israeli strikes, and another strike hit a military center of Hezbollah in the Jabal Safi. Hezbollah and al-Qus Brigade mourned their fighters in official statements. Meanwhile, the IOF released footage of the strikes that targeted Lebanon on Jun 28 and overnight.
The deadly Israeli strikes didn’t deter Hezbollah. The group announced eight attacks against the IOF during the day in response to the strike and in support of the Palestinian people and resistance in the Gaza Strip. In two of the attacks, Hezbollah fired “dozens” of rockets at the headquarters of the Sahel Battalion in the Beit Hillel barracks and launched a “squadron” of suicide drones at a newly-established headquarters of the 411th Artillery Battalion in the Gatoun area. Hebrew media admitted material losses, but didn’t report any casualties.
Houthis Attack Four Israel-Linked Vessels In Mediterranean, Red Seas
South Front, Jun 29 2024
The Iran-backed Houthis (AnsarAllah) announced late on Jun 28 that they had attacked four Israel-linked merchant vessels, including one owned by the US, in response to the Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip and in response to recent American-British strikes on Yemen. Brig-Gen Yahya Sari, the group’s military spokesman, said in a statement:
Our armed forces carried out several qualitative military operations, including a joint military operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the oil tanker Waler in the Mediterranean Sea with several drones while it was on its way to the port of Haifa. We also carried out a military operation targeting the US ship Delonix in the Red Sea with several ballistic missiles, scoring a direct hit on the ship. We also targeted the ship Johannes Maersk in the Mediterranean Sea with a winged missile, and the operation achieved its goal successfully. The operation was carried out simultaneously with the naval forces carrying out another military operation in the Red Sea against the ship Loannis. The ship was targeted by several unmanned boats.
The IRI, an umbrella of Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq, confirmed that it took part in the attack on the tanker Waler in the Mediterranean Sea, but didn’t release any footage. As for the Houthis’ attack on the Delonix in the Red Sea, the UKMTO said earlier in the day that the vessel, which was targeted 278 km northwest of the Yemeni port of al-Hodeidah, reported no damage and was heading northward. The vessel was reportedly targeted with five missiles. Separately, US CENTCOM announced that its forces destroyed seven drones and one ground control station vehicle in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Jun 28. Yemen’s Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, reported four US/UK strikes on al-Hodeidah airport during the day. The channel didn’t mention any losses, however.
Niqnaq 