Russian warplanes, based on Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser, destroyed 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria over 2 months, commander of the Russian military group in the country Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov told journalists on Friday.
“Over two months, naval aviation pilots carried out 420 sorties (including 117 at night). Nearly all sorties were accompanied by severe hydrometeorological conditions. A total of 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria were destroyed,” Kartapolov said.
Now, the Russian Navy is returning Admiral Kuznetsov and its battlegroup from the Mediterranean to its home base in Russia’s Severomorsk, the chair of the Russian General Staff, Army Gen. Valery Gerasimov, announced on Friday.
The move comes as Russia begins reducing its military presence in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial pullout of military forces from Syria after the announcement of the ceasefire deal in Syria in December, 2016.
So 2 jets lost by mishap per 400 missions (good or bad I wonder?), that 1200 target impact is equal to about two or three months of the average intensity of land-based air strikes since start of campaign. This seems like a good starting point, this is the first time Russia has actually actively used these types of forces. Any data on use of ship-based missiles, or were these defensive posture in case Obama decided to try something?
Accidents like those two aren’t necessarily a bad thing. They have clearly identified a weak point in ship (i.e. arresting gear). Planes tend to go down occasionally even during peacetime, and the cost of those two isn’t too big considering the cost of the entire operation. They didn’t fire Granit missiles.
Yes, but they also allowed ISIS to re-take Palmyra.
This boasting of “terrorist targets destroyed by Russian planes” is all very well and good (accepting at face value the numbers given for targets destroyed); but it smacks of face-saving Russian propaganda. What Russia really needs to do, is STOP pressuring the Syrian government into stupid “ceasefires” whenever they are actually winning on the ground and about to crush the jihadis. This idiotic, cowardly policy is what keeps prolonging the war, multiplying Syrian (and Russian) casualties, and ensuring that most of the West’s proxy jihadists remain un-annihilated.