- Moderator
- #1
I can't think of a single reason for praising Russia or Assad. I don't understand why people support them. Since when did civilians become "training exercises"? This isn't ISIS. They can't be bothered with ISIS. No doubt, Russia will never have to face a war crimes tribunal over this.
US army chief in Europe accuses Russia of using Syria as ‘training opportunity’
Russians 'caught out' using incendiary weapons in Syria by own channel Russia Today
Russia has been caught using incendiary weapons in Syria by its own TV channel Russia Today, which later tried to edit the footage out of its broadcast.
The Kremlin has previously denied that its warplanes were carrying these bombs, which are restricted by an international convention.
The English-language news station, which is funded by Moscow, broadcast footage of Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, visiting Hmeymim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia last Saturday.
A pilot can be seen next to a plane loaded with munitions marked with identifying numbers.
Experts from Human Rights Watch, and Conflict Intelligence Team, an open-source intelligence group based in Russia, concluded that it showed incendiary weapons mounted on a Su-34 ground attack aircraft – specifically RBK-500 ZAB-2.5SM bombs.
They said they believed the weapons contained a metal powder fuel known as thermite that ignites while falling, which has led witnesses of attacks to describe them as “fireballs.” It is the hottest burning man-made substance in the world.
Because of the flammable content, incendiary weapons cause excruciatingly painful burns and start fires that are hard to extinguish.
The Geneva Convention defines incendiary weapons as “primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons, produced by a chemical reaction of a substance delivered on the target.”
The use of thermite has been reported in civilian areas of Aleppo in northern Syria, where Russia has been conducting regular air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad in anticipation of a ground assault to retake the city from rebel groups.
US army chief in Europe accuses Russia of using Syria as ‘training opportunity’
THE US army’s top commander in Europe has accused Russia of using Syria as a “live fire opportunity” to try out their weapons with disregard for civilians.
Lt General Ben Hodges told the BBC Russia has been using weapons “not necessarily required” for the situation.
“They’re using weapons systems in certain situations that are not necessarily required for that tactical situation but they’re demonstrating that they have the capabilities, practising if you will,” he said.
“It’s a live fire opportunity to experiment and train with all their weapons systems. That’s not helpful.”
He also said the “disregard” for civilian casualties was not “the conduct of a nation that wants to be a superpower.”
Russia has consistently denied targeting civilians in the country. The defence minister has said 162 types of armaments had been tested in Syria including over 18,000 flights, the BBC reports.
Lt General Ben Hodges told the BBC Russia has been using weapons “not necessarily required” for the situation.
“They’re using weapons systems in certain situations that are not necessarily required for that tactical situation but they’re demonstrating that they have the capabilities, practising if you will,” he said.
“It’s a live fire opportunity to experiment and train with all their weapons systems. That’s not helpful.”
He also said the “disregard” for civilian casualties was not “the conduct of a nation that wants to be a superpower.”
Russia has consistently denied targeting civilians in the country. The defence minister has said 162 types of armaments had been tested in Syria including over 18,000 flights, the BBC reports.
Russians 'caught out' using incendiary weapons in Syria by own channel Russia Today
Russia has been caught using incendiary weapons in Syria by its own TV channel Russia Today, which later tried to edit the footage out of its broadcast.
The Kremlin has previously denied that its warplanes were carrying these bombs, which are restricted by an international convention.
The English-language news station, which is funded by Moscow, broadcast footage of Sergei Shoigu, the defence minister, visiting Hmeymim airbase in the Syrian province of Latakia last Saturday.
A pilot can be seen next to a plane loaded with munitions marked with identifying numbers.
Experts from Human Rights Watch, and Conflict Intelligence Team, an open-source intelligence group based in Russia, concluded that it showed incendiary weapons mounted on a Su-34 ground attack aircraft – specifically RBK-500 ZAB-2.5SM bombs.
They said they believed the weapons contained a metal powder fuel known as thermite that ignites while falling, which has led witnesses of attacks to describe them as “fireballs.” It is the hottest burning man-made substance in the world.
Because of the flammable content, incendiary weapons cause excruciatingly painful burns and start fires that are hard to extinguish.
The Geneva Convention defines incendiary weapons as “primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons, produced by a chemical reaction of a substance delivered on the target.”
The use of thermite has been reported in civilian areas of Aleppo in northern Syria, where Russia has been conducting regular air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad in anticipation of a ground assault to retake the city from rebel groups.
