Vladimir Putin has faced further humiliation as his troops were mocked during their hasty retreat from Syria. Locals in Syria are seen spitting at Russians as they flee Syria.
Local residents taunted Russian forces as they sped up their withdrawal from the Middle Eastern country following the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus.
In a video clip, a Syrian man was seen waving a shoe in the air towards a Russian convoy, followed by an obscene hand gesture. The act of brandishing a removed shoe is considered a mark of disrespect.
This tense interaction took place as Moscow tried to keep its military and naval bases in Syria despite forces being pulled back towards Putin’s Khmeimim Airbase in Latakia Province.
Satellite images appeared to show a large number of soldiers and equipment being flown back to Russia.
However, it remains unclear whether Putin will manage to maintain a military presence in Syria. One photo showed two massive An-124 cargo planes – the world’s largest – parked at the Russian airbase.
Three Il-76 transport planes and smaller cargo aircraft – three An-32s and one An-72 – were also visible. Russian soldiers were seen disassembling a Ka-52 attack helicopter.
Analysts from Maxar Technologies concluded it was being prepared for transportation. Components of an S-400 anti-aircraft missile system were also being readied for return to Russia.
Russia is conducting a military withdrawal from Syria, with equipment being flown out from a second airfield, Kamyshly.
An Ilyushin Il-76MD transport plane was seen preparing to transport military hardware, including T-90 tanks and KAMAZ trucks. Meanwhile, a Russian soldier driving a pickup truck in a large convoy of military vehicles was asked about their destination and replied, “To Russia.”
The pullout appears to involve Russian forces stationed in southern Syria.
© 2024, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
