Air Strikes by VKS & SyAAF, 8 May 2017

Flying activity began with two Russian fighter-bombers (probably Su-25s) circling high above Lataminah, in period 08.54 and 09.03. The VKS…

Flying activity began with two Russian fighter-bombers (probably Su-25s) circling high above Lataminah, in period 08.54 and 09.03. The VKS continued by launching one fighter-bomber from Hmemmem at 09.54, another at 09.55, but that was that for the Russians that morning.

At 10.09, a Su-22 launched from Shayrat, at 10.14 one from Dmeyr, at 10.30 one from Tiyas, and the fourth launched from Shayrat at 11.01. All have bombed Lataminah. As-Safira meanwhile launched three helicopters in eastern direction around 10.27 and one at 10.44.

Around 11.43, a Russian ‘reconnaissance’ aircraft was observed high in the skies above Sarqib, and apparently underway in direction of Talbiseh, in northern Homs. It’s unclear if this was the A-50 or the Il-20M. Around 11.52, the VKS then launched a single fighter-bomber, but it’s unclear what did this attack. The same is valid for two that took-off at 12.37 and 12.40, and one that launched at 13.25hrs.

Kweres launched a single L-39 at 11.46: this attacked the Daesh in eastern Aleppo. Hama launched its first MiG-23-sortie in days at 12.18hrs: this bombed Lataminah, just like the helicopter that took off around 14.00hrs.

As-Safira launched another helicopter in eastern direction at 12.50, while the helicopter that took off from Hama at 15.13 bombed — what else — Lataminah.

Russians were slightly more active during the afternoon. They launched two fighter-bombers from Hmemmem AB at 14.17 and 14.19, then one at 15.15, two at 14.23 and 14.27, and one at 17.36.

Even this — minimal — activity then slowed down: as-Sien AB launched one Su-24 at 16.27, Hama one MiG-21 at 17.26 (this bombed Latamina, at 17.31), while Tiyas dispatched another Su-24 at 17.27.

The Russians flew as next, launching three fighter-bombers from Hmemmem: one at 19.06, another at 19.17, and one at 19.39.

One helicopter launched from Hama at 20.30 (it bombed Lataminah at 20.42), and a L-39 took-off from that air base at 22.05.

Russians launched two additional fighter-bombers: one at 21.35, and one at 21.56. Two others reportedly circles high above Lataminah around 22.31hrs. The last registered sortie of the day was launched by Russians from Hmemmem AB at 23.43hrs.

Totals

VKS

fighter-bombers: 22

helicopters: 0

UAVs: 0

recce: 1

SyAAF

helicopters: 7

L-39s: 1

MiG-21s: 1

MiG-23s: 1

Su-22s: 4

Su-24s: 2

Conclusions are on hand:

1.) Lataminah is bombed, especially by Assadists, but nowhere as heavily as during the closing days of April this year.

2.) In no way has anybody in Syria even ‘flown 500 air strikes’, and there can be no word about Lataminah getting hit by 500 of these in the last two days.

3.) The Russians are largely sticking to their ‘promise’ not to target anything within ‘de-conflicted zones’, but Assadists — who ‘just’ agreed with that treaty, but didn’t negotiate or sign it — continued bombing Lataminah (from the air), but also Qaboun (from the ground).

An ‘add-on’ in this regards, and as announced back on 29 April: Russia Has Sent One of Its Four A-50U Radar Planes to Syria