Russian arms in ruins: Chaos engulfs Syria's military
The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the subsequent movement of Syrian fighters, and the involvement of some neighboring countries have led to significant equipment losses for the Syrian army. Videos and photos circulating on social media clearly show that Syria was filled with Russian equipment, and contrary to assumptions, it was not just old, Soviet-era weaponry.
Collaboration with Moscow was crucial for Bashar al-Assad's regime, as it meant receiving deliveries of valuable weapons and support from Russian troops stationed in Syria. Social media videos reveal that systems like Buk-M1 and Pantsir-S1 were destroyed in Damascus. Interestingly, it remains unclear who carried out these attacks.
Valuable Russian weapons on the streets of Syria
Initially, reports suggested that the burning Pantsir-S1 seen in the footage was destroyed by retreating Syrian army units to prevent it from being captured by Bashar al-Assad's opponents. However, it is more likely that the Pantsir-S1 was destroyed by Israeli air forces, which conducted at least three air raids on the Syrian capital.
The Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound in NATO terminology) is one of the most advanced Russian anti-aircraft systems. It entered service in the 1990s and is responsible for protecting many critical facilities in Russia and some of Putin's residences. It uses 57E6 or 57E6-E anti-aircraft missiles, capable of eliminating targets up to about 12 miles away and at altitudes of up to about 9 miles. The Pantsir-S1 is additionally equipped with 2A38M 30 mm automatic cannons, which allow for the takedown of smaller targets at a distance of about 2 miles.
Scrapheap of Russian equipment
The destroyed unit visible in the footage above was not the only one on Syrian territory. A few days ago, it was confirmed that a fully operational Pantsir-S1 was captured by Syrian fighters from the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.
The Pantsir-S1 systems are among the most valuable equipment destroyed and seized by the Syrian army in recent days. The radar Podlet-K1, captured by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, is also highly valuable.
Syrian armored forces, which have significantly expanded, have also suffered notable losses. Although most of the tanks destroyed or captured by opponents of Bashar al-Assad are outdated T-54/55 and T-62 models, there is no shortage of much newer T-72 family machines and even advanced T-90A tanks.
