Diplomat calls on US to unconditionally abandon plans of attacking Damascus
MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/.Moscow calls on Washington to unconditionally abandon plans to attack Damascus, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on Tuesday."We have been warning the United States about the need to abandon these plans unconditionally," he said."Any illegal use of force, like the air attack on the Shayrat air base about a year ago, would be an act of aggression against a sovereign state, in accordance with the United Nations Charter," the senior Russian diplomat pointed out.The Russian diplomat has also told TASS he doesn’t rule out further fake reports about Damascus’ using chemical weapons."Fake reports continued and may continue further on, especially taking into account Syrian government forces’ successes in exterminating terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta (Damascus’ neighborhood)," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabov said.Attack on Shayrat airbaseOn April 7, 2017, US President Donald Trump ordered a strike on Syria’s Shayrat military air base located in the Homs Governorate. The attack, involving 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, came as a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Idlib Governorate on April 4. The Pentagon said that the airstrike on Idlib had been launched from the Shayrat air base.
I covered the strike at the time it occurred in Syria- albeit on April 6 due to time zone differences ( No special psychic capabilities on my part) US Launches Airstrikes Against Syria- Military Intervention BeginsAt the time of the airstrikes in 2017 many of the Tomahawks didn't strike their targets; The reasoning for stray missiles was mentioned in this post: A myriad of jamming devices that Russia had at their ready were mentioned:
"Airborne forces are being re-equipped with Infauna complexes. These are installed on armoured vehicles or other military vehicles and can locate and jam enemy’s radio connection in short wave and ultra-short wave frequencies, and “put out” remotely-controlled land-bombs. They will explode but only after the Russian troops have passed by and are far enough to be safe.
Infauna has another function: the optic sensors installed on both sides of the vehicle spot flashes of discharges and command laying smokes-screen to protect convoys from fire.
The Lesochek device fulfils the same functions as Infauna but is portable and can fit into a backpack or a suitcase. It can be useful at important talks for protection against most advanced security services interception systems.
The Borisoglebsk-2 is the core of the radio-electronic warfare of the tactical units of the Russian army. It comprises an automated command point and four types of jamming stations – they use a single algorithm to identify and jam the sources of hostile activity on the air.
The Zhitel device locates and blocks satellite and mobile phones, subscription complexes of GPS-navigation. It proved efficient during the conflict in South Ossetia by misleading Georgian drone aircraft."
Today this information comes across my desk:Killer of electronics: Mi-8 helicopter with the Rychag-AV warfare system first seen in Syria
A photo of what looked like the Russian Mi-8MTPR-1 helicopter equipped with the radio electronic warfare system Rychag-AV in Syria has emerged on Twitter, reported by Russia’s newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta.Known as one of the most effective jammers in the world, the Russian helicopter-based radio electronic warfare system Rychag-AV is capable of protecting the entire vehicle by “blinding” all enemy warplanes and missiles within several hundred kilometers.The Rychag-AV is considered one of the world’s most powerful jammers when it comes to disrupting the electronics of combat aircraft and cruise missiles.صورة لما يعتقد انها مروحية MI-8 سورية مزودة بنظام الحرب الالكترونية الروسي Richag-AV .. #SAA #SyrianArmy #SYRIA pic.twitter.com/T1BOBq0XHB— موسوعة عسكرية سورية (@Syr_Mil_Wik) 14 марта 2018 г.Russia’s newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta cited military experts as saying that the Rychag-AV jammers added significantly to reducing the effectiveness of the US air strike on Syria’s Ash Sha’irat airbase in April 2017. Russian sources reported at the time that only 23 Tomahawk cruise missiles hit the targets, while the remaining 36 flew off course.
The system is typically installed on Mi-8MTPR-1 helicopters and can completely “blind” the enemy up to 400 kilometers (about 248 miles) away.Additionally, Rychag-AV elements can be installed on ground-based mobile air defense systems. The unique development of Russian scientists can also be used in the interests of the Navy.
Speaking of the April 7/17 US airstrikes on Syria, a response to an alleged chemical attack on civilians. The airstrikes on Khan Shakoun go full circle back to Porton Down
AnonymousApril 13, 2017 at 7:30 AMChemical weapons scientists at Porton Down, in the United Kingdom, have analyzed samples obtained from Khan Sheikhoun, and these have tested positive for the nerve agent sarin, or a sarin-like substance,"
Porton Down takes us back to Salisbury and the UK/Theresa May Ultimatum drama that looks to have been concocted to provide the convenient pretext for yet another attack on Syria
- A strike on Syria- because ya know... Russia "bears responsibility" for alleged chemical weapons use
And lookie, lookie were right back to the very beginning of this very post