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Photos posted to social networks confirmed that at least three of Syria’s MiG-29 fighter jets have survived recent Israeli strikes on the country, although a close look indicates that none of the aircraft are airworthy.
The Syrian Arab Air Force (SyAAF) had some 30 MiG-29s. Around just 20 of them were reportedly operational when the regime of former president Bashar al-Assad collapsed last December.
Most of these fighter jets were upgraded to a special standard derivative from the Russian SM version. This allowed the jets to fire beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles and precision-guided air-to-surface munitions. Furthermore, the jets were equipped with active jamming systems from Belarus.
Hours after the fall of the regime on December 8, Israel launched hundreds of strikes with the aim to destroy all of Syria’s combat capabilities in a large-scale aerial attack dubbed “Operation Arrow of Bashan.” Hebrew media reported that all of the SyAAF’s MiG-29s were wiped out.
Following reports of the fighter jets’ destruction, Israeli Knesset Member Matan Kahana, a former fighter pilot, explained the significance in a lengthy post on the X social network.
“At night I dreamed of Syrian MiG planes,” he began. “When I was a young pilot, our main threat was the Syrian aerial defense, and the MiG-29.”
“We trained a lot on flying deep into Syria to attack the aerial defense and bases of the Syrian Air Force, and air battles against the MiG-29 planes, which in those days had superior capabilities to our F-16 plane (we didn’t have the long-range radar missiles which the MiG had),” he wrote.
“No kidding, I dreamed about it at night. Even in my sleep I could recite the performance graph of the MiG-29… In the last few days, the next generation of air force fighters are making my dreams come true and destroying the Syrian air force. And I am jealous and full of appreciation,” Kahana concluded.
Photos that surfaced online later, with the latest from May 28, revealed that at least three of the SyAAF’s MiG-29s actually survived the strikes.
The three fighter jets, with the serial numbers 3423, 3432 and 3437, are all based at al-Seen Air Base, one of Syria’s largest military facilities. The air base is located approximately 140 kilometers southwest of the ancient city of Palmyra and 90 kilometers northeast of the capital, Damascus.
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A United States-backed force took over al-Seen earlier this month. Later, Major General Ali Noureddine al-Naasan, Chief of the General Staff of the new Syrian military, visited the base. One of MiG-29s appeared in the official photos from the commander’s visit.
Syria’s Interim Government has been working to bring back the SyAAF. However, the MiG-29 left in al-Seen won’t be of use. The three fighter jets are in a very bad condition, with rust and holes across their airframe. The landing gear of one of the jets even broke.
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On top of all of that, none of them were among the ones upgraded to the SM standard. This suggests that the jets have not been airworthy for a very long time as the upgrade took place before the war broke out in 2011. It is very likely that they were excluded from the upgrade program due to structure damage or such serious issues.
Syrian MiG-29 saw very little action during the war, as they were rarely used in ground attack missions. This only happened a few times, when al-Seen or nearby military facilities came under attack. Despite this, sources from the former SyAAF told SouthFront that the new military refused to allow any of the MiG-29 pilots, even those who saw no action at all, to return to service. The sources also said that security forces are actively hunting down those pilots.
The decision not allow former SyAAF staff to serve again, coupled with the lack of funds and the absence of any meaningful international relations, will likely leave Syria without any meaningful air force for the long term. This will of course play in favor of both Turkey and Israel, as it will grant them freedom of operations over the country.
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the wahhabi califate will sell these fighterjets to ukraine…
i hope israel confiscates or destroys them.
the planes and jihadists should be destroyed by israel.also in iran, afghanistan and pakistan.
why would israel destroy its own proxy head choppers who have never lifted a finger against israel?
n northern lebanon, syrian alawites shelter in mosques, graveyards after fleeing homes
almost 40,000 people have fled syria into north lebanon since march, the un refugee agency unhcr said in a statement.
saturday 24/05/2025
displaced syrians from the alawite minority take shelter in a school in the village of al-masoudiyeh, in lebanon’s northern akkar region, march 19, 2025. (afp)
syria is lost . the israeli drones assisted the al qaeda invasion . how deep and dark the us involvement in this abomination will never be fully known . timber sycamore is only one name to follow
displaced syrians from the alawite minority take shelter in a school in the village of al-masoudiyeh, in lebanon’s northern akkar region, march 19, 2025. (afp)
hissa, lebanon behind a ramshackle mosque in hissa, north lebanon, the living are making a home for themselves among the dead.
beside mounds of garbage in the shade of towering trees, men, women and children from syria’s alawite community seek shelter among the graves surrounding the half-built mosque, grateful to have escaped the sectarian violence at home but fearing for their future.
“we each have our own horror story that drove us to this place,” said a man with sunken eyes
all of the refugees that spoke to reporters, requested anonymity for fear of retribution.
around 600 people have sought shelter at the hissa mosque. hundreds sleep in the main hall, including a day-old baby.
on the building’s unfinished second storey, plastic sheets stretched over wooden beams divide traumatised families.
…. yes, exactly as the zio genocide regime planned.
others sleep on the roof. one family has set up camp under the stairwell, another by the tomb of a local saint. some sleep on the graves in the surrounding cemetery, others under trees with only thin blankets for warmth.
they are among the tens of thousands refugees who have fled syria since march, when the country suffered its worst bloodshed since bashar al-assad was toppled from power by islamist-led rebels in december.
almost 40,000 people have fled syria into north lebanon since then, the un refugee agency unhcr said in a statement.
needs but no resources
the recent violence in syria, which has pitted the islamist-led government’s security forces against fighters from the alawite minority, the sect to which assad’s family belongs, has killed more than 1,000 people since march.
for more than 50 years, the assad family crushed any opposition from syria’s sunnis, who make up more than 70 percent of the population. alawites, an offshoot of shia islam, took many of the top positions in government and the military and ran big businesses.
alawites now accuse the new government of president ahmed al-sharaa of exacting revenge, but sharaa says he will pursue inclusive policies to unite the country shattered by civil war and attract foreign investment.
do u support al qaeda?
the majority of the saa were sunni amd to call a bunch of head hacking savages the government is ridiculous.
under assad syria was a diverse society where all faiths and communities could live in peace and security. we now see puff pieces on this head chopper jewlani, who filmed himself beheading children and eating human organs. he is being groomed with money and state visits to serve as chief kapo of the syrian concentration camp.
trump said last week he would lift sanctions on syria, triggering hopes of economic renewal. but this has provided little comfort to the refugees in northern lebanon, who are struggling to meet their basic needs.
“unhcr, but also other agencies, are not now in a position to say you can count on us,” said ivo freijsen, unhcr representative in lebanon, in an interview with the thomson reuters foundation in april.
“so, in response to new arrivals, yes, we will try, but it will be less (than before).”
more refugees come from syria every day. almost 50 people arrived over two days last week, said one camp representative, who asked not to be named for security reasons.
unhcr is equipping new arrivals with essential items like mattresses, blankets and clothes, as well as providing medical help and mental health support, said a spokesman.
“unhcr is also conducting rehabilitation works in shelters to make sure families are protected,” the spokesman added.
‘forgotten refugees’
at the mosque, food is scarce and the portable toilets provided by an aid group have flooded. garbage is piling up and is attracting vermin. snakes have been killed in the camp, and one refugee spoke of the “biggest centipedes we have ever seen.”
the camp’s children have nowhere to go
t can be difficult for refugee children to access lebanon’s school system, human rights watch has said, while the refugees at the mosque say private schools are too expensive and may not accept children enrolling mid-year.
the refugees sheltering in the mosque are among the millions of people affected by trumps decision to freeze us funding to humanitarian programmes in february.
the unhcr has been forced to reduce all aspects of its operations in lebanon, freijsen said, including support to syrian refugees.
the unhcr had enough money to cover only 14 percent of its planned operations in lebanon and 17 percent of its global operations by the end of march, the un agency said in a report.
“our assistance is not what it is supposed to be,” freijsen said. “in the past, we always had the resources, or we could easily mobilise the resources.
these days are over, and that’s painful.”
the people in the mosque fear that they have been forgotten.
i hope that now you know why croatia was taken into the european union, even though the croats forced eu and haag that the return of gotovina in croatia, and that you understand why vučić is pro-western and pro-european, and his opposition is pro-western and even pro-nato. armenia and serbia are going to europe, and putler and erdogan should go to the double bed.
i love smelling my own farts!
maybe you should consider selling them to your ukrainians friends then. at that point, they seem to revel in shit and corruption, so maybe you could make a few dollars by farting on their faces ? who knows ?
more mia spam
zaur gurtsiev, the butcher of mariupol (20000 murdered civilians) got killed while meeting his gay friend muahahahaha 😆 😆
😆
proud gay boys reports: russia not only has the largest gay community in the world, but also the fastest-growing 😆 😆 😆
terrorists in uniform, smh 🤦
send them to uckraine
horrible… why russia why? what is the purpose of all your involvement in this beautiful country, only to have it destroyed. just stay far away… your not wanted.
blame russia. russia is to blame for everything, the neocon carnage in syria, starmer’s ukie rent boys, hunter biden’s laptop, and our dog biting the postman.
(((wonderful))) now they can be packed up and shipped to the bandera
so what? they’re just scrap metal. i don’t know why the jews even waste bombs when their whore puppet jewlani is bending over and giving them everything anyway.