File image.
A video purported to show two Soviet-made MiG-29 of the new Syrian Air Force (SyAF) flying over the country surfaced online on May 15, sparking claims of new deliveries from Russia only to be later revealed to be generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
The video quickly spread across social networks, with many sources, including the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV, promoting it as the first flight by Syrian MiG-29s since the fall of the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad more than a year ago.
It was, however, eventually debunked by Verify Syria, which noted that the video is heavily edited and contains visual errors. A scan by Hivemoderation indicated that the footage is likely generated by AI, and the fact-checking organization noted that it first emerged from social media accounts known for publishing AI content.
Later, sources from the Syrian Defense Ministry denied to the state-linked al-Watan newspaper that the video is real, stressing that the SyAF is very much still inactive.
The now-dissolved Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) had some 30 MiG-29s. Around just 20 of them were reportedly operational when the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad collapsed on December 8 of 2024.
Most of these fighter jets were upgraded to a special standard derivative from the Russian SM version. This allowed the jets to fire beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and precision-guided air-to-surface munitions. Furthermore, the jets were equipped with active jamming systems from Belarus.
Hours after the fall of the Assad regime, Israel launched hundreds of strikes with the aim to destroy all of Syria’s combat capabilities in a large-scale aerial attack dubbed “Operation Arrow of Bashan.” Hebrew media reported that all of the SyAAF’s MiG-29s were wiped out.
Photos that surfaced online afterwards revealed that at least three of the SyAAF’s MiG-29s actually survived the Israeli strikes.
The three fighter jets, with the serial numbers “3423,” “3432.” and “3437,” are all based at al-Seen Air Base, one of Syria’s largest military facilities. The air base is located approximately 140 kilometers southwest of the ancient city of Palmyra and 90 kilometers northeast of the capital, Damascus.
These jets are, however, inoperational, and in such a bad condition that they were even excluded years before the start of the civil war in Syria from the SM upgrade program.
Many of the sources that shared the fake video of the MiG-29 alleged that the fighter jets were delivered by Russia, mainly based on the face that an IL-76T military cargo plane of Syria Air was sent back to Damascus International Airport on May 14. The plane has also been stuck at Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base near the city of Jableh on the Syrian coast since the fall of the Assad regime.
Two MiG-29s were also spotted at one of the hangars in Khmeimim right after the fall of the region, and while there is no evidence that these fighter jets are Syrian this fact was also used to further spread the rumors along with the latest fake video.
Syria’s Interim Government has been working to build up the SyAF. A number of Czech-made L-39 training jets have been already brought back to service. Soviet-made Su-22 fighter bombers have been also seen taxing in propaganda footage released by the air force, but may be in fact inoperational. A small fleet of helicopters, including Soviet-made Mi-8/17 and Mi-24, as well as French-made Aérospatiale Gazelle, also remains operational, but many of them may be put in service with other branches of the new Syrian military.
Still, the air force remains very much inactive, with former service members from the SyAAF banned from returning to service. Syrian security forces are even actively hunting down pilots.
Recent reports suggested that Syria is in talks with Russia to convert Khmeimim into a training base for its forces. The reports ruled out, however, that Russia would train new Syrian pilots there.
All in all, the decision not to allow former SyAAF staff to serve again, coupled with the lack of funds and the absence of any meaningful international relations, will likely leave Syria without any meaningful air force for the long term. This will of course play in favor of both Turkey and Israel, as it will grant them freedom of operations over the country.
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