Air Strikes by VKS & SyAAF, 7 May 2017

SOHR-released reports about 500 air strikes flown by Assadists and Russians in the last two days made me curious, so let’s check what’s…

SOHR-released reports about 500 air strikes flown by Assadists and Russians in the last two days made me curious, so let’s check what’s really up.

7 May, 2017

Flying activity began around 05.17hrs in the morning, when a single VKS fighter-bomber was observed circling high above Latamina.

No further activity was reported before 08.52, when an UAV was observed above Sarqib.

A single helicopter then lifted from Hama AB, around 09.02, and bombed Lataminah, around 09.24. Another helicopter took off from as-Safira at 10.08, but this one flew in eastern direction. It remains unknown what was bombed by the Su-24 that launched from Tiyas around 10.16hrs. A minute later, another helicopter launched from Hama AB (this bombed Latamina around 10.30hrs), while at 10.27 one more launched from as-Safira and distanced in eastern direction.

The Su-22 that launched from Shayrat at 11.13hrs flew away in eastern direction: probably for an air strike on FSyA in south-eastern Syria; less likely to strike Daesh in eastern Homs.

The MiG-21 that launched from Hama at 11.50, bombed Kfar Zita at 12.00hrs. Another helicopter lifted from Hama at 11.54: this bombed Latamina at 12.01.

The Russians were not active before 11.52, when a single fighter-bomber launched in south-eastern direction. Around 12.21, another VKS fighter-bomber overflew Lataminah. My assumption is that the Russians are maintaining their aircraft, resting their crews, perhaps also replacing some of their assets in Syria after all the activity in March and April.

Around 12.17hrs, another helicopter lifted from as-Safira and flew away in eastern direction; a Su-22 launched from Shayrat at 12.24, but went in northern direction, while a L-39 from Hama that took off at 12.30, went in northern direction too. All of them bombed Latamina around 12.30–12.35.

Tiyas launched another Su-22 at 12.38, Shayrat one more at 12.45, and Dmeyr another at 12.49, while Hama launched one helicopter at 12.50, and as-Safira one more at 12.53. Conclusion is on hand: Assadists continue bombing Lataminah, but have also moved some of their helicopter back to as-Safira, from where they’re bombing Daesh in eastern Aleppo.

At 13.44, the Russians launched one aircraft from Hmemmem, and a helicopter from Sanobar. Two other aircraft followed from Hmemmem at 14.25.

Hama continued pounding Lataminah by dispatching two L-39s at 15.38hrs, then a MiG-21 at 17.58, a helicopter at 18.31, and then Shayrat launched one Su-22 that bombed Lataminah too.

Meanwhile, around 15.31hrs, the Russians launched one aircraft that was then sighted high above Khan Sheykhoun around 16.00hrs.

An L-39 launched from Shayrat at 20.30hrs, and another at 21.26: both went in northern direction, but didn’t really announce an entire ‘wave’ of air strikes — as earlier. Sure, a Su-24 then took off from Tiyas at 21.29 — and all of them bombed Lataminah, but that was about ‘all’.

The same was valid for a single Russian aircraft that took off from Hmemmem at 21.12hrs: further Russian take-offs were registered only at 23.04 and 23.15, 23.42, 23.51, and 23.59.

Meanwhile, Lataminah was targeted by a single L-39 (apparently from Nayrab AB/Aleppo IAP), at 23.16. That was about that for the day.

Totals:

VKS

fighter-bombers: 13

helicopters: 1

UAVs: 1

recce: ?

SyAAF

helicopters: 8

L-39s: 6

MiG-21s: 2

MiG-23s: 0

Su-22s: 6

Su-24s: 2

For conclusions, see the coverage of 8 May 2017.