Turks shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone near their border
ANKARA, ($1=9.59 Turkish Liras) – The Russian news agency Aviapro writes that on October 21, the Turkish anti-aircraft missile units guarding the border between Turkey and Syria shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone, model Orion 10, BulgarianMilitary.com reports. BulgarianMilitary.com reminds us that the Turks have several military bases on the border with Syria.
A field source of BulgarianMilitar.com is located in the region and found that there were no traces of impact on the fuselage of the unmanned aircraft. Our source suggests that the Turkish military used an electronic warfare system that burned the boards of the Russian drone. Evidence of this theory may be the open parachute of the drone, which was activated. This is done when there is a technical malfunction in the electronics of the aircraft, or in case of loss of electronic communication with the drone operator.
So far there is no official statement from the Russian side. There are no data on material damage. BulgarianMilitary.com reminds us that there is a strong concentration of Turkish troops in the areas of the northern parts of Syria.
Under Turkish artillery fire
As we reported yesterday, October 21, at least 20 missile strikes on Syrian Arab Army positions have been carried out in recent days by Turkish troops in the Idlib area. According to the data available to BulgarianMilitary.com, the Turkish military used the T-122 Sakarya MLRS to inflict intensive strikes.
“In Syria, the escalation continues slowly but surely: the Turkish army has begun shelling Syrian army positions in southern Idlib with large-caliber missiles,” Militarist Telegram reported.
So far there is no official data on killed, wounded, or damaged. Analysts say the escalation of tensions in recent days and rocket fire by the Turkish military violate an agreement between Moscow and Ankara. Military observers in Syria say that, unlike the Syrian army, Turkey cannot receive air support and this will be a problem for them.
“Unlike Syrian troops, Turkey cannot receive air support in Idlib, but Syrian fighter jets and bombers will be enough for the Turkish army’s losses in the region to reach a thousand in just one day. If Erdogan wants to act according to such a scenario, then Damascus is ready to humiliate Ankara, as it did a year and a half ago,” the expert noted.
The civil war in Syria
The Syrian civil war has been going on for almost a decade. Attempts by movements such as the Syrian Democratic Forces to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have failed.
The Syrian democratic forces are armed by allies and the United States, while the Syrian army is armed mainly by Russia. Russia is the only country officially invited to Syria by President Bashar al-Assad.
In 2017, the United States launched a massive missile strike on Bashar al-Assad’s forces after a report emerged that the Syrian president had used chemical weapons to attack his people in the country. Syria and Russia deny such actions.
During his tenure, US President Donald Trump decided to withdraw much of US troops from Syria, leaving several troops to guard Syria’s oil fields on the pretext of “falling into the hands of Islamic State.”
With the withdrawal of the United States, Turkey comes to the fore, declaring it necessary to deal with the Kurds and the PKK movement in the northern part of the country, which borders Turkey. That is why Erdogan is sending troops in an attempt to build a stable and secure 30km zone between Syria and Turkey, which will prevent future terrorist attacks on Turkish territory, as it is.
Ceasefire
In February 2020, Turkey lost at least 62 troops killed in Syria. Nearly 100 soldiers were wounded, Syrian-backed forces destroyed dozens of Turkish armored vehicles, and more than ten drones, including drones, were shot down. Washington has repeatedly accused Moscow of involvement in the deaths of Turkish soldiers, Russia rejects these allegations.
In early March 2020, the presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, agreed that a ceasefire came into force in the Idlib de-escalation zone. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later said that if the US and Turkish military did not leave the country, Damascus would use military power.
The reason for the Russian-Turkish negotiations was a sharp aggravation of the situation in Idlib, where in January, a large-scale offensive by the Syrian army against the positions of the armed opposition and terrorists began.
Government forces recaptured nearly half of the Idlib de-escalation zone and left behind several Turkish observation posts. After that, Ankara sharply increased its military contingent in the region and launched the operation “Spring Shield” to push the Syrian troops. Militants are loyal to Ankara and support Turkey.
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