Talk:Alleged attack on Khmeimim airbase 31 Dec 2017

Sputnic Reports:

Two Russian Servicemen Killed on Dec. 31 in Shelling of Hmeymim Base - MoD

The Russian Defense Ministry has refuted media reports about the alleged destruction of seven Russian military aircraft by militants during an attack at the Hmeymim air base in Syria. "Reports of Kommersant [newspaper] about alleged 'total destruction' of seven Russian military aircraft at the Hmeimim air base are fake," the ministry's statement read.

The Defense Ministry added that Russian aviation units in Syria were combat ready and continue to accomplish their assigned tasks in full.

"On December 31, 2017, after dark, the Hmeimim airfield suddenly came under mortar shelling from a mobile subversive group of militants. As a result of the attack, two servicemen were killed," the statement said.

"Syrian security forces are carrying out measures to find and eliminate the militants involved in the attack as well as to enhance safety at the nearby territory," the ministry added.

The Russian newspaper Kommersant said earlier that seven aircraft had been destroyed and more than 10 servicemen had been injured as result of the shelling of Hmeymim base by terrorists.

The day before, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a Mi-24 helicopter had crashed on December 31 during a flight to the Hama airfield in Syria, with both pilots dying in the accident.--Charles Wood (talk) 07:57, 4 January 2018 (UTC)

I guess we will not know more, unless there is more info, like further clarification or satellite photos maybe. Kommersant article Rus., robo-translation said some other sort of thing, along the lines of what Gerasimov said earlier, et-Tanf and all. But Kommersant sources, "two military-diplomatic sources", are of unknown quality, and they are not quoted directly adding to Gerasimov thing. Kommersant is owned by oligarch Alishar Usmanov, who is not interested in provocations, but journalists at Kommersant are fairly independent and generally reputable. But their sources may have their own agenda, and there is no hint on what 'camp' the sources are from --Resup (talk) 10:10, 4 January 2018 (UTC)

El Murid brings up earlier event, May, 2016, near Palmyra (Stratfor vs RU MoD). El-Murid is a blogger; he tends to over-emphasise --Resup (talk) 10:42, 4 January 2018 (UTC)