At least four Su-24 bombers, two Su-35S fighters and an An-72 transport plane, as well as an ammunition depot, were destroyed by the shelling
Russian daily Kommersant reported on Jan. 3, 2018, that at least seven Russian warplanes were destroyed by rebel shelling at the Hmeymim airbase in Syria on Dec. 31, 2017.
The news has been confirmed by Reuters which explains that the attack has caused the single biggest loss of military hardware for Russia since it launched an airstrike in Syria in autumn 2015. In fact, more than 10 servicemen were wounded in the attack by “radical Islamists.”
At least four Su-24 fighter bombers, two Su-35S fighters, and an An-72 transport plane, as well as an ammunition depot, were destroyed by the shelling, Kommersant said on its website, citing two “military-diplomatic” sources. The news has been confirmed by the Lost Weapons Twitter profile which along with images of one of the Su-24s (specifically the Fencer “Tail Number 29”) damaged during the attack says that at least some of the Su-24s and Su-35s were back in action.
According to Kommersant, the Russian defense ministry had not commented.
Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry said a Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter had crash-landed in Syria on Dec. 31 due to a technical fault and two pilots died.
Noteworthy, even though last month President Vladimir Putin has ordered a “significant” withdrawal of his military from Syria, declaring their work largely, Russia began establishing a permanent presence at Hmeymim and a naval base at Tartous.
Photo by Lost Weapons Twitter profile