Air Strikes by VKS & SyAAF, 3 June 2017

Two VKS fighter-bombers were launched from Hmemmem AB at 01.02hrs. They were followed by at least one more, at 01.04, then one at 01.45.

Two VKS fighter-bombers were launched from Hmemmem AB at 01.02hrs. They were followed by at least one more, at 01.04, then one at 01.45.

Meanwhile, Su-24s were launched from Tiyas: one at 01.10, another at 01.27. Then one L-39 at 01.58. This was a clear indication of a day of increased activity — apparently prompted by the Daesh’s assault on western Dayr az-Zawr.

Another wave commenced launching at 03.23 in form of a single L-39 from Tiyas. At 03.24, the Russian reconnaissance aircraft was observed transiting southern Idlib. Several UAVs were active over the Jishr ash-Shughour area too, and a Su-22 launched from Dmeyr, at 05.30.

More activity followed during the mid-morning, including a Su-22 from Shayrat at 08.51, Su-22 from Tiyas at 09.07, and Su-24 from Tiyas, at 09.37. The Russian reconnaissance aircraft was still airborne and — apparently — returning towards Hmememm AB around 09.54.

Through the day, Assadists continued launching air strikes in eastern direction: Shayrat launched another Su-22 around 09.59, followed by Su-24 from Dmeyr, Su-22 from Tiyas at 10.54, Su-22 from Shayrat at 11.24, MiG-21 from Hama at 11.52, Su-24 from Tiyas at 13.12, Su-24 from Dmeyr at 13.42, another Su-24 from Dmeyr at 13.59, Su-22 from Shayrat at 14.26, Su-22 from Tiyas at 14.29, Su-22 from Shayrat at 14.43, Su-22 from Shayrat at 15.35, Su-24 from Tiyas at 15.47, Su-24 from Tiyas at 16.34, helicopter from as-Safira at 16.36, Su-22 from Tiyas at 17.27, Su-22 from Shayrat at 17.52, Su-22 from Tiyas at 18.47, and Su-24 from Tiyas at 19.30.

Until that moment, there was no Russian activity (except in form of UAVs) since early in the morning. The video here was 100% certainly taken during earlier operations (i.e. 1–2 days ago, at least; Keystone Cops in Mosow are never publishing videos the same day they were taken). And reports about ‘heavy Russian air strikes’ by Leith Abou Fadhel are nothing else but science fiction: the air strikes in question were flown by SyAAF (see all the Su-22s and Su-24s I’ve listed above), not by Russians — and they were anything else but ‘intensive’. Especially not when compared to Assadist flying from March and April this year (not to talk about November-December last year).

(I simply do not understand such behaviour: what do some people there think: the ‘defenders’ of Dayr az-Zawr are going to fight better if air strikes supporting them are flown by the Russians?)

Surely enough, at 22.02 a single VKS fighter-bomber was launched from Hmemmem in south-eastern direction, but that was also all.

One L-39 launched from Shayrat at 22.14 (this attacked the Kfar Zita area), and another Russian reconnaissance aircraft was registered over Latamina around 23.12.

Totals

VKS

fighter-bombers: 5

helicopters: 0

UAVs: 5

recce: 2

SyAAF

L-39: 2

helicopters: 1

MiG-21: 1

MiG-23: 0

Su-22: 13

Su-24: 8

AFAIK, this was something like ‘all out’ effort by the SyAAF, i.e. something like maximum number of sorties it can currently launch on the same day.