Ukrainian HUR Special Forces Deliver Devastating Strike on Russian Base in Syria

Kyiv Post has obtained several exclusive videos and photos showing the continuation of a special operation by the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) units to degrade Russian military assets in Syria.

According to Kyiv Post sources within the intelligence agency, the Khimik group carried out another complex strike against the positions of the Russian forces in Syria at the end of July 2024.

The target of the attack was Russian military equipment at the Kuweires airbase, which is located east of Aleppo and occupied by Russian forces.

The released videos purports to show key moments of the attack: first, a Russian mobile EW complex is destroyed, followed by drones attacking Russian military objects at the airbase itself. The strike was reportedly carried out the day after a meeting in the Kremlin between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, July 24.

The Kuweires airbase has been controlled and used by the Russians for military purposes since 2015.Ukrainian intelligence tells Kyiv Post that the base was also used for training and transporting foreign mercenaries to the war in Ukraine.

Photo provided by Kyiv Post from sources

In early June, Kyiv Post also published exclusive footage of Ukrainian special forces attacking enemy checkpoints, strongholds, foot patrols, and columns of military equipment in the Golan Heights in Syria.

Born out of necessity, Ukraine’s shortage of ground-based air defense, the integration of Soviet-era launchers and radars with Western missiles proved even more successful than originally anticipated.

According to Kyiv Post’s HUR source, since the beginning of the year, insurgents with the support of Ukrainian fighters have delivered numerous strikes against Russian military facilities under the control of the so-called Russian Armed Forces Group in the Syrian Arab Republic.

What are Ukrainian special forces doing in Syria?Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015, initially aimed at supporting President Assad’s regime during the civil war, led to the permanent deployment of thousands of Russian troops there

In the fall of last year, Moscow transferred some troops and equipment from Syria to the battlefield in Ukraine, potentially making their forces in Syria more vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks in the region.

Due to their prolonged presence in the region, the Russians have created numerous recruitment centers to enlist Syrian mercenaries for the war in Ukraine.

Mercenary recruitment is overseen by the Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides and Refugee Movement Management at the Hmeimim airbase, occupied by Russia.

There, mercenaries are issued Russian passports and then incorporated into the Russian Armed Forces.

In May 2023, HUR chief Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov promised to “destroy Russian war criminals anywhere in the world they may be.”

In addition to Syria, Ukrainian HUR special forces continue hunting for pro-Kremlin Wagner mercenaries in Sudan and other parts of the African continent.

On Monday, July 29, Kyiv Post received a unique photo of Malian Tuareg rebels posing with the Ukrainian flag, showing their support for Ukraine.