Russia warned Syria about offensive in NW Syria – Russian analyst
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A Russian political analyst stated on Saturday that Russia had previously warned the Syrian government about opposition factions preparing to launch an offensive in the countryside of Idlib and Aleppo in northwestern Syria.
Dimitri Brijac, a researcher and head of the Russian Studies Unit at the Center for Arab-Eurasian Studies, criticized the Syrian government for failing to adequately prepare for the attack.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, once known as al-Nusra Front) and Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), continue their advance in the northern and southern countryside of Aleppo, as well as in Idlib, with the offensive now in its fourth day.
In an interview with North Press, Brijac revealed that Russia had informed Syria about the arrival of experts in Syria to assist the factions in Idlib.
These experts reportedly trained opposition factions in the use of drones and tactics for targeting areas under the control of the Syrian government forces.
The reason behind the successive loss of government-controlled areas is the lack of preparation and failure to take Russian warnings seriously, Brijac noted.
He also highlighted that the current developments are likely to alter Syria’s political and security landscape.
According to Brijac, the Syrian Interim Government, which operates under Turkish influence, lacks a coherent political project. Their primary objective is to secure control of Aleppo, enabling Turkey to reduce the burden of Syrian refugees within its borders and reshape the status quo inside Syria, he explained.