Air Strikes by VKS & SyAAF, 23 June 2017
Flying Activity for 23 June 2017 This day began with a take-off of a Su-24 from Tiyas, at 00.02. Two minutes later, a VKS helicopter was…
Flying Activity for 23 June 2017 This day began with a take-off of a Su-24 from Tiyas, at 00.02. Two minutes later, a VKS helicopter was launched from the same base. Both went in eastern direction, just like a L-39 from Kweres, launched around 00.30 — by when another L-39 was active in Latamina area (northern Hama), too. Two helicopters then took off from Almazza, at 00.58 and 01.03, and an aircraft was reported as underway over southern Damascus (that’s how Russians are usually flying).
Two helicopters then approached Dera’a around 01.26 and 01.27, and another aircraft passed high above Houla on the way in southern direction, around 01.47, while at 01.53, a new L-39 appeared over the Lataminah area.
Almazza launched the 6th helicopter of this night at 03.24, and a Russian aircraft passed high above Houla around 03.44, followed by two others (at 03.57 and 04.04).
The rest of the night and morning were quiet, and the next take-off — by MiG-23 — was reported from Nassiriyah only around 10.04. Tiyas then launched a Russian helicopter at 11.34, and a Su-22 (in north-eastern direction) at 11.39. Another VKS fighter-bomber passed high above Houla at 11.57.
A Su-22 took off from Dmeyr at 13.10, then a Su-24 from as-Sien at 13.16, and a MiG-23 from Nassiriyah at 13.42. All of these went in southern direction, just like two helicopters from Almazza, at 14.43, and two others at 14.47. Nassiriyah launched one MiG-21 at 15.00hr (this was sighted over southern Damascus about 10 minutes later), Almazza two helicopters at 15.03 and 15.05, Nassiriyah a MiG-23 at 15.11, another at 15.19, and one more at 15.22. Shayrat then launched a Su-22 in northern direction at 15.22, Almazza a helicopter at 15.26, and Tiyas a Su-22 in eastern direction at 15.28. Another MiG-23 scrambled from Nassiriyah in southern direction at 15.33, and a Su-24 from Tiyas in north-eastern direction at 15.34. Second Su-22 then took off from Shayrat at 15.38 (in northern direction), a Su-24 (in southern direction) from as-Sien at 15.41; Nassiriyah launched one MiG-21 in southern direction at 15.40, Almazza one helicopter at 15.48, and Kweres one helicopter at 15.52.
The VKS launched its next sortie only at 15.55, when one aircraft (type not cited) took off and flew away in south-eastern direction. Kweres then launched one L-39 in eastern direction at 15.56, Tiyas one Su-24 in southern direction at 15.58, as-Sien one Su-24 in southern direction at 16.14, Almazza two helicopters in southern direction at 16.45, Tiyas one Su-24 at 17.26, then another at 17.32, the VKS one fighter-bomber from Hmemmem at 17.39, Tiyas another Su-22 at 17.46, Kweres one Su-22 in eastern direction at 18.07, and as-Sien one Su-24 in north-eastern direction at 19.34.
Up to a dozen of air strikes in question have targeted Eastern Ghouta (see the video below), killing at least two civilians, while one targeted the Nasib border crossing to Jordan.
Furthermore, Russian warships off Syria fired several cruise missiles at the Daesh-controlled area east of Homs.
Evening activity included two helicopters from Almazza at 21.49 (both attacked the Dera’a area), but foremost VKS operations: two Russian fighter-bombers scrambled at 23.03 and 23.15, then a Su-24 from Tiyas at 23.18, and a helicopter from Almazza at 23.47.
Notable is a flight by a US Navy’s P-8 Poseidon MPA very close to the Syrian coast — laying to rest all the claims about Russians supposedly deploying their ‘S-300 SAMs’ to ‘shoot down a USAF RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV’ off Syria, from two days ago, launched by conspiracy theoreticians in the USA (nobody sane would’ve send an aircraft crewed by up to 20 into an area where the Russians should’ve shot down an US UAV underway in international airspace just a day before).
Totals
VKS
fighter-bombers: 9
helicopters: 2
UAVs: 3
recce: 1
SyAAF
L-39s: 4
helicopters: 20
MiG-21s: 2
MiG-23s: 5
Su-22s: 7
Su-24s: 9