Air Strikes by VKS & SyAAF, 7 June 2017

There’s actually not as much to report, as to explain. The SyAAF started into the day in a rather unusual fashion: Dmeyr and Tiyas launched…

There’s actually not as much to report, as to explain. The SyAAF started into the day in a rather unusual fashion: Dmeyr and Tiyas launched a single Su-24 each at 00.23 and 00.25, respectively. Then the Russians launched two from Hmemmem AB at 00.37, and Kweres added a single L-39, at 00.52. Apparently, all of these bombed targets in Daesh-controlled area.

There was plentiful of UAV activity over Idlib (city) around 02.00hrs, and then Hama’s usual ‘early morning helicopter’ (this time at 03.03), while a single L-39 launched from Hama at 04.04. Furthermore, at 05.16, Dmeyr launched another Su-24.

There followed a hours-long break until 11.05, when a single Su-22 launched from Shayrat. Then a helicopter lifted off from as-Safira at 11.21, two MiG-23s from Hama AB (at 13.22 and 13.23), and a helicopter (probably Russian) was reportedly active over the southern Idlib governorate, around 15.00hrs.

At 14.20, a Mi-25 launched from one of air bases in Damascus area. A Su-24 then launched from Tiyas at 15.41, two additional helicopters launched in direction of Dera’a (either from Almazza or Marj Ruhayyl/Bley; sorry, reporting from this area is not as good as that from elsewhere), and another Su-24 from Tiyas at 15.59. Between the helicopters in question was this ex-VKS Mi-24P (note the 23mm cannon on the right side of its nose, and the overpainted ‘Russian Red Star’ at its bottom), that bombed the Dera’a area.

Sometimes during the afternoon, Usoud ash-Sharqiya then claimed destruction of a SyAAF fighter-bomber at Dmeyr AB, using a Konkurs ATGM — or to have even shot down one.

The Russians flew not a single sortie the entire morning. This changed at 15.22, when a single aircraft took-off from Hmemmem AB. This was followed by two others at 16.00 and 16.02. Another Russian fighter-bomber took off at 17.06, one at 17.09, then two at 18.11, and two at 20.38–20.49. All of these flew in southern direction, but might have eventually bombed the Daesh in Dayr az-Zawr area, as reported by the Russian media. If so, these were first such strikes in days.

No idea where from are these two Russian Mi-24s or Mi-35s operating, but none of their take-offs have been reported from Shayrat or Tiyas so far:

Registered evening activity included a take-off of a Su-24 from Tiyas at 21.47, the Russian reconnaissance aircraft over Idlib governorate at 21.58, launchings of L-39s from Tiyas at 22.24, and Shayrat at 23.35.

Totals

VKS

fighter-bombers: 11

helicopters: 3

UAVs: 6

recce: 1

SyAAF

L-39s: 3

helicopters: 4

MiG-21s: 0

MiG-23s: 2

Su-22s: 1

Su-24s: 5

***

UPDATE: according to the report here some of air strikes launched by Assadists on Wednesday, 7 June 2017, have targeted the US-supported PKK/PYD/YPG/SDF conglomerate in the Maskana area, too.

Well, nobody said the Assadists and the IRGC ‘must be clever’: instead, they’re now showing their true face.