Today, Saturday, November 9, Russian forces carried out joint aerial military exercises with the regime forces in the countryside of Aleppo, at a time when Israel was bombing the same area.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated in a statement that these exercises, which took place in Aleppo governorate, involved joint operations to destroy ground targets, drones, equipment, fortifications, and enemy forces, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of air operations being executed in Syria.

In the first phase of the maneuvers, tactical operation aircraft belonging to the Russian Air Force participated, launching strikes from multipurpose fighter bombers of the “SU-34” model and frontline bombers “SU-24M” on ground targets in the training field in the al-Jouboul area near al-Safira city, east of Aleppo.

The strikes were carried out using high-explosive bombs of the “FAB-250” type from altitudes ranging from 600 to 3,300 meters, while “SU-35S” fighters provided cover for the bombers.

In the second phase of the exercises, helicopters of the “Ka-52” and “Mi-8AMTSH-V” types from the Russian Air Force participated, in addition to “Mi-25” helicopters belonging to the Syrian regime forces.

The crews took off from Kweiris Military Airport in the Aleppo countryside and conducted strikes against hypothetical targets using “S-8” rockets.

According to the statement, Russian and regime forces practiced flying at extremely low altitudes of approximately 30 meters, and there were joint assault group exercises during the maneuver and sprinting towards the target.

Additionally, Russian helicopters trained on locating and neutralizing attacking drones in the airspace.

The final phase of the training involved conducting joint air raids at night, where the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the high level of military training contributed to the successful completion of all specified tasks despite low visibility conditions.

On that same day, Saturday, November 9, Israeli airstrikes targeted military positions of the Syrian regime and Iran-backed militias in the Aleppo and Idlib countryside.

In conjunction with Israeli shelling

The announcement of these military exercises coincides with Israeli bombardment in the area, as the Syrian Ministry of Defense reported that the Israeli army launched an aerial aggression around 00:45 on the same day from the southeast of Aleppo, targeting several sites in the Aleppo and Idlib countryside, resulting in injuries among military personnel and some material losses.

SANA, the Syrian news agency, reported that explosions were heard in the vicinity of al-Safira city in eastern Aleppo due to the Israeli aggression targeting the area.

Russian news agency Sputnik clarified that a squadron of Israeli aircraft crossed the Jordanian-Syrian border heading to the Golan Heights to carry out an attack on Aleppo countryside from above the American base in the al-Tanf area at the triangle of the Syrian, Jordanian, and Iraqi borders.

Sputnik added that the Israeli aircraft targeted the Scientific Research Center in Aleppo countryside through the Syrian desert skies.

Correspondents from Enab Baladi in Idlib noted that the airstrikes targeted positions of regime forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah in the city of Saraqib, east of Idlib, as well as the Scientific Research Center in al-Safira in Aleppo countryside.

Close to the opposition

The joint military maneuvers between Russia and regime forces come amid discussions about military action in northern Syria. In early October, the local Al-Watan newspaper reported that the regime had raised military readiness on its fronts in the “de-escalation” areas of Idlib and its surroundings, in anticipation of an attack by “terrorists,” according to its description.

At the end of last month, channels on Telegram and groups on WhatsApp circulated information about preparations by opposition factions to launch a military campaign towards eastern Idlib and western Aleppo.

Additionally, recent days saw military movements by regime forces in northwestern Syria, contributing to the reinforcement of such news.

The supervisor of the “Observatory 80” specializing in tracking military movements told Enab Baladi that the regime was observed sending military equipment, including artillery and rocket shells, as well as significant activity of reconnaissance aircraft and suicide drones, indicating that no new infantry forces from the regime had been observed.

The supervisor further added that the regime sent military equipment towards eastern and southern Idlib countryside on the Saraqib and Maarrat al-Numan fronts, in addition to reinforcements being spotted towards the villages and towns of Anjara, Ajel, Oweijel, Kafr Naha, Ikarda, al-Talhiya, al-Kusaibiya, al-Bawabiyah, and Kafr Halab in the southern and western rural areas of Aleppo.

Russian forces have previously conducted joint maneuvers with regime forces in Syria multiple times, the last of which involved ground maneuvers at the naval base in Tartus, followed by exercises along the Syrian coast and naval maneuvers conducted by the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea at the end of 2022.