Russian servicemen in Syria shoot down drone near Hmeymim base

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Russia’s Hmeymim air base in Syria© Marina Lystseva/TASS, archive

On Thursday, Russian servicemen in Syria downed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that was approaching Russia’s Hmeymim air base from the militant-controlled territory, a senior Russian military official said.

"On August 9, airspace control equipment of Russia’s Hmeymim air base detected an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), launched from a territory, controlled by illegal armed groups, in the north of the Latakia governorate. The aerial target was shot down by air defense systems at a distance from the air base," the head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the opposing sides in Syria, Maj. Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, said.

"There was no injuries or damage. Russia’s Hmeymim air base operates as normal," he added.

According to earlier reports, Russian servicemen disabled more than 25 drones last month, heading toward the Hmeymim air base and carrying various types of ammunition.