Russia’s Defense Ministry admitted on Monday that its air and naval bases in Syria’s Humeimim and Tartous came under attack over the weekend by drones carrying explosives, accusing countries with high technological potential of providing hardliners with the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
Of the 13 drones used in the attacks, seven were destroyed while the six others were intercepted by the Russian army, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
It added that during the attacks on Friday night “no casualties or damage of property were reported by Russian military facilities.”
The Hmeimim and Tartus bases continue to operate normally, the ministry said.
This is the second attack on a Russian base in Syria in a week.
Separately, Syrian regime forces intensified on Monday their pounding of Damascus’ eastern Ghouta region to break the siege on the Military Vehicles administration base in the city of Harasta.
It remained a mystery how the battle unfolded, although regime forces announced breaking the siege.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported later that regime forces had “opened a loophole” that led them into the base, and were currently working on expanding it.
An operational room of opposition groups fighting in the area denied that regime forces had broken the siege.
Also on Monday, Syrian regime forces were preparing to activate the customs directorate in Bukamal and Deir Ezzor ahead of opening the land road linking the Syrian area with the Lebanese border.
