You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Russian-backed Division 25 conducts advanced military drills in central and Syria's northwest to fight in Ukraine
2022-04-01
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

The Russian-backed Division 25 affiliated with the Syrian government forces conducted advanced military training in central and northwest Syria, which is considered a major stronghold for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
(HTS, formerly al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
Front) and other Ottoman Turkish-backed opposition factions, at the request of Russian forces in order to fight in Ukraine, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said, Thursday.

The Division 25 led by Suhail al-Hassan, Known as "Tiger", is the major fighting group in the Russian-air-backed government’s battles in northwestern Syria.

These military drills are an attempt by Russia to send clear messages to the international community that Syrian military Divisions of the "regime’s army" are on standby to fight alongside Russians in the Russian-Ukrainian war in the event of escalating fighting, according to SOHR.

The Russian Sputnik news agency cited sources as saying that the "Tiger conducted advanced military drills for the third consecutive day in areas in Idlib for airdrops by members the Division 25 Special Missions."

The "Division 25 special operations", which was formed in 2013, spreads on contested front-lines in the Syrian Desert as well as Idlib fronts.
Related:
Division 25: 2022-03-06 Syrian fighters are recruited to be sent to Ukraine
Division 25: 2019-08-30 Tiger Forces renamed and placed under command of Syrian Army
Division 25: 2007-05-17 British journalists are getting out their anti-American message
Posted by:Fred

#13  Forget it - he's a Brit and on the payroll. IP's don't lie
Posted by: Frank G   2022-04-01 20:15  

#12  If fewer than 2000 Russians have been killed (but by extension that means there have been 20,000 wounded), why are they dragging Syria into the war? Why expand the war if it's all under control?
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2022-04-01 19:51  

#11  38000. Ukrainians deaths

Posted by: DarthVader   2022-04-01 16:48  

#10  Judging on Russia's military performance so far, "Don't get slaughtered" isn't something everyone was taught.

As Friday April 1
1856. Russian deaths
38000. Ukrainians deaths

EU “reinforcements” arriving in the Ukraine





Posted by: American exceptionalism LOL   2022-04-01 15:36  

#9  Wouldn't this make Syria a party to the conflict?

Where's all the condemnation of escalation? Where are the calls for Syria to keep out of it?

(Or is it an admission that Syria is effectively part of the Russian Empire now?)
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2022-04-01 15:24  

#8  This is the Russian/Soviet tactic as was seen in the last days of the battle Berlin. My guess is Div 25 will be sent in to the breakaway republics for a campaign of mass murder, rape and torture as part of their "deNazification" process. On the other hand, they might even be needed.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2022-04-01 13:34  

#7  /\ ...or a lot of artillery to shell it until the rubble stops bouncing
Posted by: magpie   2022-04-01 12:17  

#6  The Mongols had a siege tactic called the "Endless Storm" where wave after wave of expendable subject troops were sent up ladders against the city walls until the defenders were exhausted. Russia is going to need 'gunfodder' if they want to attack the urban cities...
Posted by: magpie   2022-04-01 12:16  

#5  Judging on Russia's military performance so far, "Don't get slaughtered" isn't something everyone was taught.
Posted by: DarthVader   2022-04-01 11:14  

#4  These military drills

Posted by: Skidmark   2022-04-01 11:09  

#3  Depends who has air supremacy
Posted by: Slenter Panda4300   2022-04-01 10:50  

#2  'Cannon Fodder', Mike.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2022-04-01 08:25  

#1  ...The first time they run up against western-trained, motivated, and well-equipped troops instead of deranged semi-literate jihadis...they're gonna get creamed.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2022-04-01 06:38  

00:00