Illustrative image. Source: the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
The Russian military has deployed air defense, radars and ballistic missile systems at a key base in Syria’s northeastern region, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on March 27.
The base in question is an airfield located near the town of Sarrin in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo, which is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Russian military took over the base in 2019 after a partial withdrawal by the United States-led coalition.
According to the London-based monitoring group, the Russian military deployed a Buk-M air defense system, several unidentified radars and eight OTR-21 Tochka tactical ballistic missile launchers in Sarrin base.
The Buk-M is a medium-range air defense system that can engage aerial targets with ranges from 22 to 50 kilometers depending on the variant.
The Tochka system has a range between 70 and 185 kilometers depending on the variant. The missile is well-known for its destructive warhead and high-accuracy. It has a circular error probable of less than 70 meters.
This was not the first time the Russian military deployed reinforcements in northeastern Syria this month. On March 18, the SOHR reported that 40 truck-mounted anti-aircraft machine guns arrived at a Russian base located near the SDF-held town of al-Sadia in the northeastern Aleppo countryside.
The Russian military has been expanding its presence in northeastern Syria for the last two years in an apparent attempt to corner Turkish-occupied areas in the region and counter the United States-led coalition.
The recent Russian movements in the northeastern region indicate that the special military operation in Ukraine has not affected the Russian deployment in Syria.
