A Panstir-S1 system at Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base in Syria
Russian air defense systems intercepted several unidentified aerial objects over the Hmeimim airbase in the province of Lattakia in the late hours of May 19.
Local sources said that the objects were likely rockets or armed unnamed aerial vehicles (UAVs). The sources also confirmed that all the objects were shot down away from the airbase, causing no damage.
Following the attacks, Syrian Arab Air Defense (SyAADF) units in the coastal region were reportedly placed on high-alert, likely to counter any possible attack on Hmeimim.
If reports are confirmed, this would be the second attack on the Russian airbase since the beginning of the temporary ceasefire around Idlib. In the first hours of the ceasefire, radical militants launched a barrage of Grad rockets at the airbase, killing at least one civilian.
The situation on the frontlines around Idlib remained calm after the attack, which signals that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is planning to stick to the temporary ceasefire.
