Colonel-General Aleksandr Dvornikov, who commanded the Russian army group in Syria, in September 2015, admitted that special forces fighting in Syria:
– “I will not hide that in Syria there are divisions of our special operations Forces. They perform the further exploration of for Russian air strikes, engaged in bringing aircraft on targets in remote areas, solve other specific tasks.
The first military transport aircraft with groups of Special Operations Forces (commandos), landed on the base Hamim back in September of last year.
The fighters are Russian special forces, for example, participated in the rescue of the crew of the Russian Sukhoi su-24 shot down on seriesco-Turkish border on November 24 last year, the F-16 fighter of the Turkish air force. In the rescue operation was attended by five helicopters Mi-8, on Board each was a 7-8 soldiers of the marine corps and special forces of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of defense (the former name — GRU), now these units are called Special Operations Forces (SSO).
Another major operation of the MTR fighters in Syria — it is unlocking Kvayres airbase in Aleppo province.
Advanced units of the Syrian army on October 22 last year, with heavy fighting came to the air base on the distance of 5-6 kilometers and is stuck on that line for a few weeks. The main problem for armored vehicles of the Syrian army were mobile groups of fighters, armed with anti-tank complexes.
Aircraft of Russian air force and artillery attacked the positions of militants, but it helped a little: cost Syrian tanks leave the position as they were met by accurate fire operators-gunner ATGM BGM-71 TOW. On the outskirts of the airbase Kvayres the Syrian army has lost several dozens of tanks and armored personnel carriers.
Then it was decided to use sabotage and reconnaissance groups.
According to our information, Russian special forces under the Kvayres spent three night RAID, during which were eliminated several dozens of ATGM terrorists. And after such “cleansing” the Syrian army has unlocked the airbase.
In November 2015 it was decided to strengthen the units of the 104th brigade of the Republican guard of the Syrian army, soldiers of Russian special forces.
The soldiers of the special operations forces of the Russian Armed forces today are fighting in Syria, it is thanks to them managed to close the corridor of the militants in Aleppo.
The article Did Russian special forces help the Syrian army win Aleppo, tabloid the Duran argues that only through the participation of Russian special forces in the fighting in Aleppo, managed to take the territory of an artillery base in Aleppo”, and led to the elimination of the narrow corridor, broken August 5, militants jihadists in the line of environment they controlled neighborhoods in Western Aleppo.
On the photo: Russian special forces on the territory of an artillery base in Aleppo
The article States that:
– Judging by the photos of Russian special forces fully equipped and armed, which suggests that they recently took part in the attempt to capture an artillery base in Aleppo”. If Russian special forces really took part in the storming of the base, this could explain the rapid capture of the object for which earlier in the weeks, battles were fought.
Russia has repeatedly denied suggestions that its troops were involved in any ground military operations in Syria, and if the special forces did participate in the liberation “of Aleppo artillery base”, so the Russian claim is inconsistent with reality.
However, it has long been common international practice to consider special forces apart from other soldiers, so that rebutting allegations about the country’s participation in ground combat does not apply to them. A good example is the recently confirmed officially the presence of soldiers of British special forces in Syria, while the British government in recent months has also repeatedly denied sending ground troops to Syria.
The Russian military a few days ago really threw a small number of elite Marines in Aleppo (according to various estimates, from 80 to 120 people), presumably to participate in humanitarian operations in the area. Probably this mission was used as a pretext for the deployment of special forces, who was shot by the photographer on “artillery base in Aleppo” and that participated in its liberation.
In the picture, judging by the outfit, not the Marines, namely the fighters of the SDF Russia – Popov
– If Russian troops of special forces participated in combat operations for the liberation of this object, this decision almost certainly had to obtain the sanction at the highest level during one of numerous meetings of the Russian Security Council, which was held in August. Most likely, speech can go about an unscheduled meeting that was held on 8 August 2016, three days after the assault on the jihadists ‘ artillery base in Aleppo, on the eve of Putin’s trip to Baku to meet with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Iran. However, whenever that decision was made, obviously it was related personally by President Putin.
-Even if eventually it is confirmed that Russian special forces took part in the liberation of the object in Aleppo, it is necessary to keep a sense of proportion. Although this is a really well-trained elite troops, they are not supermen. If their population is 80-120 people, as stated in the report, they are clearly not able to capture the whole of a vast territory in the conditions of resistance on the part of hundreds, perhaps thousands of jihadist fighters.
They could be only a small part of the Syrian forces that had participated in its liberation. Although Russian special forces may have participated in some elements of military operations, most likely they were entrusted with command, control and supervision, with the aim of helping the Syrian troops liberated the database directly.
By CNA analyst Michael Kofman (Michael Kofman), which specializiruetsya on military operations of the Russian army, currently in Syria there are two main divisions of the Russian special forces “Barrier” and CSR (special operations Forces).
-That Russian troops are taking part in ground operations in the Syrian war, has long been known.
The troops that had recently recaptured from the “Islamic state” Palmyra was part of the Syrian and the Iranian army and militias “Hezbollah”. And, as stated by the Russian government , the victory was achieved due to one unit — the elite Russian special forces known as spetsnaz.
The Russian special forces became one of the Central themes of the Russian news reports on the war in Syria as battle for Palmyra directly fit into antiepilepsy rhetoric, which Russia initially used to justify intervention, says research analyst, Institute for the study of war (Institute of the Study of War) Chris Kozak Chris Kozak).
-Participation of Russian special forces in the battle of Palmyra “looks fine,” said Kozak.
-A special unit of the foreign intelligence Service of Russia “Barrier” is a top-secret special forces unit, designed for law enforcement response and protection in particularly dangerous areas. CSR is an analogue of the U.S. joint special operations command, the United States and created in recent years.
-“Russian special forces engaged in the guidance and coordination of Russian air strikes on ground targets, in addition, a lot of work in the Syrian army held by the Russian military advisers,” says Coffman. However, he added that these units collect the main part of intelligence information and identification of the major terrorist targets in support of operations conducted by the Russian air force and the Syrian army.
-Unlike most units of the us special forces (currently instruct Iraqi and Syrian military at the battalion level and brigade being in the rear), Russian special forces involved in the fighting on the side of the Syrian army, carrying out tactical support.
-The presence of Russian special forces and military advisers on the front lines, in turn, contributed to the fact that the Syrian government forces and allies of President Bashar al-Assad entrenched in the occupied positions and retook the territory in different parts of the country. According to Kofman, Russian ground units — despite the hype around the sending country to the Russian air group — serve as liaison, helping the Syrian army to fight and show a much higher combat capability.
–“In fact, quite difficult so change the situation that having such a small number of aircraft — even though they made a large number of sorties, that the effective actions of Russian Spinoza turned the tide of the war in Syria”, — said Kofman.
