Syria – Syrian opposition advises Ukrainians, as they experienced fighting Russians

Location: Idlib, Syria

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:05:10 

Voice: Natural

Source: A24 News AGENCY

Restriction: A24 clients

Dateline: 6/3/2022

Storyline: 

It has been 10 days since the invasion of Ukraine territories. Despite the blockade imposed by Russia on Ukraine, Russian forces are still unable to control the major cities. Russia’s bombing and destruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure brought to mind the Russian intervention in Syria and the devastation it wrought after battles against the Syrian opposition. A number of military opposition leaders who previously defected from the Syrian army said that the Russians are following almost the same war tactics they used in Syria, adding that these tactics have strengths and weaknesses. Russia’s possession of the air force and missile launchers is crucial for the Russian war, but its adoption of the policy of advancing with large columns of infantry and armored vehicles is its weak point, as it makes it vulnerable to ambushes and traps from the resistance. The Syrian fighters advise the Ukrainian resistance to focus on targeting aircraft and armor since they protect the advancing forces. The West and NATO have provided the Ukrainian army with Stingers missiles, which pilots usually flee from of their danger, as well as anti-tank guided munition such as Javelin Missiles. Russians might implement a scorched-earth policy if they were to lose and might use internationally banned weapons.

Shots list:

-Soundbite (Colonel Pilot Mustafa Bakour – the official spokesman for Jaysh al-Izza): 

“I am Colonel Pilot Mustafa Bakour, head of the public relations office and official spokesman for the Jaysh al-Izza (Army of Glory). Russia in its war against Ukraine uses the same tactics it used in the war against Syria. Russians in the beginning used the traditional method of battles. After they failed in more than one battle, they moved to adopt the scorched-earth policy, impose a blockade, and target civilians and service facilities, especially hospitals. This method had a negative impact on the Syrian military situation since it led to the loss of large areas that were under the control of the Syrian fight. Russian forces have strengths and weaknesses. The weaknesses are that they use underdeveloped techniques with no accuracy in shooting, and they don’t adopt modern war tactics. They use the tactics of World War II with large numbers of mechanisms and infantry. This causes the infantry and armored vehicles to fall into the traps and ambushes of the defenders, which leads to great losses in its ranks. As for the strengths, the Russians possess firepower, as they use large numbers of rocket launchers and artillery in their tactics, in addition to warplanes, which drop thousands of tons of bombs on civilians. In Syria, chemical weapons were used. Cluster bombs, incendiary phosphorous, and napalm were used. In fact, we did not see in Ukraine the use of these internationally prohibited weapons, but when the Russians feel the embarrassment of the situation, I think they will use them, and they may use nuclear weapons. The Russian forces advance in the form of columns, protected by helicopters and warplanes, pushing mercenaries and militias in the forefront, and this is what happened in Syria, where the spearhead of the Russian advance was the regime forces, Iranian militias, and Hezbollah elements. Now we hear in Ukraine that they are pushing at the forefront of the Russian forces, the Chechen elements and some mercenaries who gathered them from a number of countries that support the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

-Soundbite (opposition fighter):

“Jaysh Al Izza forces were in the northern countryside of Hama. The Syrian regime and the Russian forces tried to storm the area, but we did not get out of it until after imposing a siege on us from the east and west, but we managed to get out. Their losses were great, as we destroyed a large number of tanks. They used a scorched-earth policy, aircraft, and launchers. We were able to kill many of the regime forces, the Iranian militia, and Hezbollah, in addition to some Russian forces, including a Russian general in that battle.”

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