Helicopters of the army aviation of the Russian Air Force conducted air patrols of the strategically important M-4 highway in the province of Al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria.
"Air patrols along the route of the M-4 highway and the surrounding area were conducted. No illegal armed groups and ceasefire violations were detected," one of the pilots told journalists after the raid.
According to the pilot, helicopters patrol the territory at extremely low altitudes - from 50 to 100 meters. They fly without any landmarks and use navigation systems restricted. The pilots and observers onboard must make sure that there is no accumulation of parked cars on the road and no activity of illegal armed groups nearby.
The group has two helicopters: the Mi-8AMTSh is flying first, followed by the Mi-35, which is ready to respond to provocations from the ground with a missile salvo if necessary. In addition to their firepower, the pilots note, the Russian vehicles have unique survivability that makes them serious adversaries in the event of an engagement.
Russian and Turkish presidents Vladimir Putin and Tayyip Erdogan adopted a memorandum on joint actions to resolve the situation in northeastern Syria at a meeting in Sochi on October 22, 2019. According to the document, Russian military police and Syrian forces were introduced into areas bordering the Turkish security zone. On November 1 of the same year, the Russian and Turkish military began joint patrols east of the Euphrates River.
Russian Air Force pilots, in addition to aerial reconnaissance, take part in escorting military police convoys during the patrols.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS