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The Russian military is deploying more reinforcements in Syria’s northeastern region in what appears to be an attempt to deter Turkey, whose military and proxies are preparing to launch a new operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
On June 7, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Russian military deployed reinforcements at al-Mabaqer base near the SDF-held town of Tell Tamer in the northern countryside of al-Hasakah.
According to the London-based monitoring group, the reinforcements included armored vehicles and heavy weapons as well as air-defense and radar systems.
A video that surfaced online on June 6 shows a Russian military convoy with two Pantsir-S1 short-range air-defense systems moving in an unspecified part of the northern al-Hasakah countryside.
The Pantsir-S1 was designed to provide point air defense of military, industrial and administrative installations against aircraft, helicopters, precision munitions, cruise missiles and drones. Russia deployed an additional Pantsir-S1 system in al-Qamishli Airport in the northern al-Hasakah countryside on June 2.
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Russia has been expanding its military presence in northern and northeastern Syria to prevent Turkey from launching a new military operation against the SDF. Moscow has already warned that such an operation would only worsen the humanitarian situation in the war-torn country.
Despite Russia’s efforts, Turkey appears to be determined to launch its operation. The Turkish military and its proxies have been amassing their forces in northern and northeastern Syria and shelling SDF-held towns and villages in the two regions for a few weeks now.
Ankara is clearly trying to take advantage of the conflict in Ukraine, which is taking much of Russia’s attention, to further its influence in Syria even more under the pretext of fighting the SDF.
