Dozens of Russians Are Believed Killed in U.S.-Backed Syria Attack

[RandomGuy]

MOSCOW — Four Russian nationals, and perhaps dozens more, were killed in fighting between pro-government forces in eastern Syria and members of the United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, according to Russian and Syrian officials.

A Syrian military officer said that about 100 Syrian soldiers had been killed in the fighting on Feb. 7 and 8, but news about Russian casualties has dribbled out only slowly, through Russian news organizations and social media.

Much about the attack and the associated casualties has been obscured in the fog of war. For reasons that remain unclear, Syrian government troops and some Russian nationals appear to have attacked a coalition position, near Al Tabiyeh, Syria.

The attack occurred in the vicinity of Deir al-Zour, a strategic, oil-rich territory that is coveted by the Syrians. Most of the fatalities were attributed to an American airstrike on enemy columns that was called in by American-backed Kurdish soldiers who believed they were under attack.

At no point, an American military spokesman said, was there any chance of direct conflict between United States and Russian forces.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/world/europe/russia-syria-dead.html

[hater]

Yes some russian contractors seem to have been killed

That plus Israeli attacks are just taking thing there a few notches

Who knows hoe many american contractors have also been killed by Syria/Turkey

[RandomGuy]

Yes some russian contractors seem to have been killed

That plus Israeli attacks are just taking thing there a few notches

Who knows hoe many american contractors have also been killed by Syria/Turkey

Russian "contractors".

"contractors" in the Ukraine all just happened to belong to the same Russian army paratroop unit, totally coincidentally. :lmao

Russian government tried to cover it up, but the coffins and burials, and weeping mothers were too hard to ignore.

[RandomGuy]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26532154


Russia officially has long denied organized presence of their military units in Ukraine. Nevertheless, evidence of its soldiers' involvement is rampant.[383]

On 25 August 2014 ten Russian paratroopers were captured in Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense maintained that the men were lost and crossed the border into Ukraine by accident.[384][385]
In May 2015 two suspected Russian GRU agents (Military intelligence) were detained by Ukrainian forces, Russia's Ministry of Defense stated the men were former soldiers who were not on active duty at the time of capture. The two men were later exchanged for captured Ukrainian pilot and politician Nadiya Savchenko[386]
In July 2015 a Russian major was detained near Donetsk as he drove an ammunition truck into a Ukrainian checkpoint, the Russian military maintained the man was not involved with the Russian military and fought for local separatists. The major was later exchanged for captured Ukrainian soldiers.[387][388]
In September 2015 Ukraine's border guards detained 2 Russian internal troops when they crossed the border in Ukraine's Luhansk oblast, the Russian servicemen stated they were lost and crossed the border by accident, with the Russian Military of Defense accusing Ukraine's forces of crossing into the nearby Russian village and abducting the servicemen.[389][390]
In October 2015, Russian Ministry of Defence admitted that "special forces were pulled out of Ukraine and sent to Syria" and that they were serving in eastern Ukraine on territories held by pro-Russian rebels.[391]
On 17 December 2015 when asked about the two detained Russian citizens in Ukraine who were being accused of being military intelligence officers President Vladimir Putin responded: "We never said there were not people there who carried out certain tasks including in the military sphere." This was generally taken as an admission that Russian military operatives were deployed to Ukraine.[392] Before that declaration there had been a large amount of circumstantial evidence that confirmed the presence of Russia's military.[35][393][394][395][396][397][398][399][400]
Large part of the evidence are military vehicles and weapons that are unique to Russian armed forces and never present in Ukraine before the conflict. The OSCE monitoring mission has also noted the presence of troops declaring themselves as Russian servicemen in DPR-controlled territory.[401] As the rest of the post-Soviet republics every Russian military equipment has a hull number (bortovoi nomer). However equipment in possession of the LPR and DPR has all hull number painted over to conceal its relation to the Russian Armed Forces.[citation needed]



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_military_intervention_in_Ukraine_(2014%E2% 80%93present)

[RandomGuy]

http://www.newsweek.com/over-2000-russian-fighters-dead-ukraine-presidents-spokesman-434295

Somebody goofed, and admitted that about 2000 Russian troops have died in Ukraine.

[boutons_deux]

The U.S. Is Permanently Occupying Northern Syria, and That’s Trouble

How did the United States get tangled up in another Mideast quagmire?

with the Islamic State on the ropes,

the Trump Administration has announced (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/17/us-military-syria-isis-iran-assad-tillerson) that some 2,000 U.S. troops will stay permanently in the Kurdish region of northern Syria.

Ostensibly, the troops will fight Islamic State remnants and combat Iranian influence.

In reality, the United States seeks to remove President Bashar al Assad, or

failing that, dismember Syria into zones controlled by outside powers.

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/02/13/us-permanently-occupying-northern-syria-and-thats-trouble

[boutons_deux]

Damascus warns Israel of 'more surprises' in Syria

Israel will face “more surprises” should it again attack Syrian territory, Damascus said on Tuesday,

after Syria’s air defenses shot down an advanced Israeli warplane during the fiercest flare-up between the old foes in 36 years

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-israel/damascus-warns-israel-of-more-surprises-in-syria-idUSKBN1FX198?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+%28News+%2F +US+%2F+Top+News%29

[Mark Celibate]

4? I read as many as 200-300

[hater]

Russian "contractors".

"contractors" in the Ukraine all just happened to belong to the same Russian army paratroop unit, totally coincidentally. :lmao

Russian government tried to cover it up, but the coffins and burials, and weeping mothers were too hard to ignore.

Both US and Russia have thousands of contractors in the middle East. They are there for the money. Mercenaries basically

Are you denying US has thousands of contactors in the middle east?

[RandomGuy]

Both US and Russia have thousands of contractors in the middle East. They are there for the money. Mercenaries basically

Are you denying US has thousands of contactors in the middle east?

Not at all. The US contractors though are actual private citizens.

Russian "contractors" tend to be active duty military personnel, under orders from their government.

[boutons_deux]

[QUOTE=RandomGuy;9287244]

Russian "contractors" tend to be active duty military personnel, under orders from their government.[/QUOT

US colonel on npr this morning said Russian mercenaries are paid $3k /month, many are ex-military, which is a ton of money for rural shithole russians, said usa in constant deconfliction contact with Syrian and Russian military who did not object to the asskicking

[hater]

Not at all. The US contractors though are actual private citizens.

Russian "contractors" tend to be active duty military personnel, under orders from their government.

:lmao tend to be. Any proof of this BS?

[hater]

Regardless it was a mistake for Syria and Russian contactors to be parading through Eastern Syria knowing the terrorist can call their American airforce at will.

IMO they will learn their lesson or keep dying

Its obvious US wants to keep Eastern Syria for themselves to squeeze assad. And now Israel is coming from the West

Turkey doing their own thing in the anorth

Its a clusterfuck so if niggas start dying left and right from all sides it should not come as a surprise

[Mark Celibate]

Right wingers are morally bankrupt, left leaning media is the only credibile media, American mercenaries are private citizens but the Russian ones are Russian military, are you noticing a pattern here? RG has zero credibility at this point, he’s is a pseudo intellectual full of himself hack. He preemptively declares victory for himself on every subject and resides in his own reality. The best way to deal with him is ignore him and let him self qauarantine. He’s like a ghost he only exists in a different dimension and you’ll only catch a glimpse of him if you focus hard enough. Just let him amuse himself and pay him no mind, he’s not an influential force.

[hater]

Saddest thing is there are many thousands idiots that think just as him

Pretty sad but its the result of US propaganda brainwashing its own citizens. I still believe this will come back to bite us, all of us.

You cant keep a nation going with a population of mostly retarded brainless regurjitators

US state believes its militaristic oligarchy SYSTEM is going to keep things running but that has already been proven wrong in 2008 and will soon again

[RandomGuy]

:lmao tend to be. Any proof of this BS?

Already provided above, sporto.

[hater]

Already provided above, sporto.

The link had no proof Russian active military are also contractors Einstein :lol

[RandomGuy]

Right wingers are morally bankrupt, left leaning media is the only credibile media, American mercenaries are private citizens but the Russian ones are Russian military, are you noticing a pattern here? RG has zero credibility at this point, he’s is a pseudo intellectual full of himself hack. He preemptively declares victory for himself on every subject and resides in his own reality. The best way to deal with him is ignore him and let him self qauarantine. He’s like a ghost he only exists in a different dimension and you’ll only catch a glimpse of him if you focus hard enough. Just let him amuse himself and pay him no mind, he’s not an influential force.


•On 25 August 2014 ten Russian paratroopers were captured in Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense maintained that the men were lost and crossed the border into Ukraine by accident

https://i.ndtvimg.com/mt/2014-08/russian_paratroopers_ukraine_afp_650_1.jpg

I say "tend" because some are genuine mercs. Russians don't like their troops involved in foreign wars anymore than we do, less probably.

You can lie about whether they are there or not, but the bodies, graves, and mothers of the missing and dead aren't so silent.


New East network
They were never there: Russia's silence for families of troops killed in Ukraine

The Kremlin denies sending troops into the conflict in east Ukraine, but Russian relatives of those who have served and died across the border tell a different story

growing body of information about Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine has started to reveal a damning picture of Moscow’s intervention in the separatist conflict there, despite Kremlin denials of involvement.

As fighting continued to flare in the east particularly around Donetsk airport, an online organisation has catalogued more than 260 people reportedly killed in eastern Ukraine. The Open Russia organisation , started by the Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has also published a map showing where the dead are from.

The official denial of Russian military participation in Ukraine has pressured the relatives of those who served and died there to keep silent, and could deprive many of them of the benefits to which they are entitled. But some have started to speak out.

[RandomGuy]

Right wingers are morally bankrupt, left leaning media is the only credibile media, American mercenaries are private citizens but the Russian ones are Russian military, are you noticing a pattern here? RG has zero credibility at this point, he’s is a pseudo intellectual full of himself hack. He preemptively declares victory for himself on every subject and resides in his own reality. The best way to deal with him is ignore him and let him self qauarantine. He’s like a ghost he only exists in a different dimension and you’ll only catch a glimpse of him if you focus hard enough. Just let him amuse himself and pay him no mind, he’s not an influential force.

There is credible right leaning media.
American mercenaries are universally private citizens.
Russia uses a mix of active duty troops and mercs.

If you want to lie about what I think, you are welcome to do so in the confines of your head.

[RandomGuy]

The link had no proof Russian active military are also contractors Einstein :lol

(Shrugs)

Families demand answers over deaths and disappearances of troops thought to have been fighting in neighbouring Ukraine. RFE/RL reports
In early spring, Russian president Vladimir Putin deployed soldiers without insignia into the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea to ensure a quick annexation of the territory.

After a month of denying their existence, the Russian president acknowledged that the thousands of well-armed fighters, who had previously been referred to as “little green men”, were in fact Russian troops.

Decried in the west, Russians gave the move near unanimous support. A territory was won through military might – and an overwhelming referendum vote that has not been recognised in the west – but without a fight.

Now, as Moscow apparently reinvigorates a flailing pro-Russian separatist insurgency with a barely concealed incursion into south-eastern Ukraine, indications are that Russian military men are dying. And as captured Russian paratroopers are paraded on Ukrainian television and servicemen are buried in secrecy, some Russians are asking a seemingly simple question: “are we at war?”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/29/russia-ukraine-war-asking

[RandomGuy]

tate media did not cover the funerals and independent reporters who had come to inspect the paratroopers’ gravestones were accosted by unidentified men.

“It was more like a threat than any sort of demand,” Ilya Vasyunin, a journalist for the online Russian Planet news site, told RFE/RL’s Russian Service. “They wanted to make sure we understood that there was no need to visit the cemetery or dig any deeper into the situation.”

The names on the gravestones, which showed the dates of death as 19 and 20 August, have since reportedly been removed.

[hater]

Still no proof that active russian military soldiers are also mercenaries :lmao

And of course Russia has soldiers in Ukraine. Just as US soldiers have soldiers in Syria and Niger and other places in Africa. US also tries to cover the casualties of their covert operations as they tried in Niger

Can we talk about stuff we dont agree on? :lol

[RandomGuy]

yudmila Malinina’s voice trembled as she described the secret funeral she witnessed on a recent night in her small town of Sudislavsky in the Kostroma region of central Russia. At about 8pm, a truck parked at the cemetery a few yards away from her wooden house. The truck’s headlights stayed on to illuminate the ground for several men to hurriedly dig the grave, “as if they were thieves hiding something”, Luydmila says. More neighbours popped out of their windows and doors to watch and discuss the strange scene, wondering why anybody would bury a relative at this hour. Besides, that part of the graveyard was reserved for the deceased in war, as somebody pointed out.

Russian army wives have a special term for dead soldiers returning home from the front lines in zinc coffins: they are called “cargo 200” – a phrase that has echoed like a curse to a Russian ear since the days that a tide of zinc packages came in from Afghanistan during the Soviet war of 1980s. The secrecy around their husbands’ deployments “was like a trap created by a schizophrenic”, one of the Kostroma paratroopers’ wives says.



“When we were on the train to Rostov last month, I had no idea we were to go to Ukraine; we all believed they brought us to a base for the usual routine exercises. If I knew it was for war, I’d have quit back in Kostroma, as I have two little children at home,” the paratrooper of the 331st regiment of Russia’s 98th Guards Airborne Division, says.

http://www.newsweek.com/2014/09/19/russian-soldiers-reveal-truth-behind-putins-secret-war-269227.html

[RandomGuy]

Still no proof that active russian military soldiers are also mercenaries :lmao

And of course Russia has soldiers in Ukraine. Just as US soldiers have soldiers in Syria and Niger and other places in Africa. US also tries to cover the casualties of their covert operations as they tried in Niger

Can we talk about stuff we dont agree on? :lol

Plenty of proof that active duty troops in the Russian Army were ordered into Ukraine.

I am sure it is a mix of mercs and active duty personnel in Syria, not merely one or the other. It is both.

[hater]

Still no proof Russian active military are also contractors :lol

Oh and


Johnson was hit as many as 18 times by enemy rifle and machine gun fire, likely killing him during the attack, according to the Associated Press. On Sunday, The Associated Press first reported preliminary details of the ongoing U.S. military investigation into the Niger incident.

The soldier’s remains were discovered two days after the battle in thick underbrush some distance from the site of the ambush.

Jones-Johnson told CNN she learned about the leaked results of the investigation on Facebook last night. She said the family has had her son’s autopsy since Nov. 12, but she's still seeking "the truth" from the U.S. government.

"If they would've just told us the truth behind the situation from day one, we won't even be sitting here because we would have closure and we can move on from this," Jones-Johnson said. "But there's no closure because it's like my mom always used to tell us. If you tell one lie, you have to tell so many lies to cover up that one little lie."

[RandomGuy]

Still no proof Russian active military are also contractors :lol

No, not definitive proof in Syria.

We do know how the Russians operate, and we do know that they have used active duty troops in secret and work to cover it up. It isn't much of a stretch to think that the inept kleptocracy running the shithole country of Russia would bother much with the distinction, as long as they can prop up their chemical weapon using friend.

[hater]

No, not definitive proof anywhere

Agreed thanks for retracting your earlier blanket statement



We do know how the Russians operate, and we do know that they have used active duty troops in secret and work to cover it up.

We do the same

[RandomGuy]

Agreed thanks for retracting your earlier blanket statement

We do the same

Not retracting it at all. I think it is more likely than not that active duty troops are being used by the Russian government in Syria in secret, because that is consistent with the Russian governments past actions in Ukraine. Providing proof positive is another thing.

We don't really do quite the same. We use contractors to backfill a lot of things that active duty troops do, for many of the same reasons.

We just don't send hundreds/thousands of troops into combat telling them to remove all their unit insignia. Some fair number of special forces do that, but not on the scale the Russians do.

[djohn2oo8]

963813933449654272
Shidddddd

[RandomGuy]

963813933449654272
Shidddddd


Around 600 fighters with artillery and tanks, most Russian-speakers, took part in the attempt to storm the base, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. They counted on the U.S. having too little time to target them without risking casualties among its mainly Kurdish allies, but strikes began when only half the force had made it to the base, Kommersant newspaper reported, citing a former comrade of the mercenaries.

Russia’s military has said it had nothing to do with the attack and the U.S. accepted the claim.

“The Russians may have allowed the attack to take place simply to make it clear to Assad that you can’t do things without coordination with Moscow,” said Yury Barmin, a Middle East analyst at the Russian International Affairs Council, a research group set up by the Kremlin.

They got their shit handed to them.

The US has been doing close-in combat support for over a decade for ground troops. I would guess the mechanisms/personnel for that are very good at responding quickly, much to the Russian/Syrian surprise.

[hater]

Still no proof that Russian active military are also contractors :lol

[hater]

Mm I guess no proof

[Pavlov]

lol contractors

Good stuff.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Not retracting it at all. I think it is more likely than not that active duty troops are being used by the Russian government in Syria in secret, because that is consistent with the Russian governments past actions in Ukraine. Providing proof positive is another thing.

We don't really do quite the same. We use contractors to backfill a lot of things that active duty troops do, for many of the same reasons.

We just don't send hundreds/thousands of troops into combat telling them to remove all their unit insignia. Some fair number of special forces do that, but not on the scale the Russians do.

I find it amusing that he will give credence to every other conspiracy available but not the notion the Russians would conspire to hide their troop activities and control their media.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Mm I guess no proof

Interesting way to deflect from having your nose rubbed in Russian involvement in both spheres.

BUT THEY MIGHT NOT BE CONTRACTORS TOO!

[hater]

I find it amusing that he will give credence to every other conspiracy available but not the notion the Russians would conspire to hide their troop activities and control their media.

Huh? I already said they do it and we do it too. Try to conceal our secret ops of course

What I laugh at is at his blanket statement that Russian contractors are also active russian military :lmao

No proof :lol

[hater]

Interesting way to deflect from having your nose rubbed in Russian involvement in both spheres.!

What spheres moron. Ukraine and Syria are hell of a lot closer to Russia than to USA :lol

[Spurtacular]

MOSCOW — Four Russian nationals, and perhaps dozens more, were killed in fighting between pro-government forces in eastern Syria and members of the United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, according to Russian and Syrian officials.

A Syrian military officer said that about 100 Syrian soldiers had been killed in the fighting on Feb. 7 and 8, but news about Russian casualties has dribbled out only slowly, through Russian news organizations and social media.

Much about the attack and the associated casualties has been obscured in the fog of war. For reasons that remain unclear, Syrian government troops and some Russian nationals appear to have attacked a coalition position, near Al Tabiyeh, Syria.

The attack occurred in the vicinity of Deir al-Zour, a strategic, oil-rich territory that is coveted by the Syrians. Most of the fatalities were attributed to an American airstrike on enemy columns that was called in by American-backed Kurdish soldiers who believed they were under attack.

At no point, an American military spokesman said, was there any chance of direct conflict between United States and Russian forces.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/world/europe/russia-syria-dead.html

Copy/Paste

[spurraider21]

Copy/Paste
nothing gets past you.

not even the link at the bottom

[Spurtacular]

nothing gets past you.

not even the link at the bottom

You're crying, why?

[hater]

So where are the 600 russian soldiers bodies randomgay? :lmao

Youd think androne, plane or camel hereer would notice 600 white bodies splattered in the desert :lmao

[pgardn]

Oh imagine this.
The Russians are now involved in a clusterfck and there is confusion about what US backed groups have done.

Have fun Mr. Putin.

For hater, RT news will tell him what really happens in Syria.

[Mark Celibate]

Hearing reports both sides are massing in the Euphrates valley for a showdown, SAA bringing in AA defense this time

[Mark Celibate]

Scary that this could happen because SAA now knows it can take the F16 out of the sky. A few hundred USA special forces on the ground illegally are not going to deter them from trying to retake their valuable national oil fields. Iran and Hezbollah will probably try to respond asymmetrically if we openly wage war against SAA. Shit could go bad quick.

[clambake]

don't worry. trump knows way more than the generals.

remember?

[RandomGuy]

Huh? I already said they do it and we do it too. Try to conceal our secret ops of course

What I laugh at is at his blanket statement that Russian contractors are also active russian military :lmao

No proof :lol

and I said "not all of them". We pretty much agree on that, so I am not sure what you are looking for.

[RandomGuy]

don't worry. trump knows way more than the generals.

remember?

Cadet Bonespurs Hushmoney McPussygrabber to the rescue!!

[RandomGuy]

Scary that this could happen because SAA now knows it can take the F16 out of the sky. A few hundred USA special forces on the ground illegally are not going to deter them from trying to retake their valuable national oil fields. Iran and Hezbollah will probably try to respond asymmetrically if we openly wage war against SAA. Shit could go bad quick.

Agreed, mostly. Presence of US troops is a deterrent, because those troops are backed by some solid airpower. Syria still has aid defense capability, but that is because they haven't turned it on US planes.

This is where we will finally get to see if Trump really has been compromised by the Russians.

That theory would predict that Trump will back down and abandon his allies rather than cross Russia. He will "declare victory" over ISIS, and get the US out, abandoning the Kurds.

[Mark Celibate]

Agreed, mostly. Presence of US troops is a deterrent, because those troops are backed by some solid airpower. Syria still has aid defense capability, but that is because they haven't turned it on US planes.

This is where we will finally get to see if Trump really has been compromised by the Russians.

That theory would predict that Trump will back down and abandon his allies rather than cross Russia. He will "declare victory" over ISIS, and get the US out, abandoning the Kurds.
Kurds have always been a geopolitical football. We back them and fuck them over at will. We will most likely end up doing it again and not because of Russia but because turkey is the more important ally.

[Mark Celibate]

Not to mention SDF is spread thin in the area since having to divert resources to afrin to defend against Turkey. SAA and allies may think they can blitz before American AirPower reacts. AirPower becomes less effective once you hug the enemy imho. What really surprises me is assad agreeing to send reinforcements to afrin to help the Kurds defend when they just got finished clashing with you in the east of the country. If i were assad id be allying with Turkey for the time being and let my enemies destroy each other. I guess we will have to see what happens.

[hater]

IMO a lot of trickery is happening and media is being weaponized. Who really knows what d fuck is going on. For example the “rumors” that 600 russian soldiers died 1 month before Russian election. Lol or the rumor Assad sent troops to defnd curds yeah right

But IMO there is a possibility Assad and Putin are bluffing in the East. I just dont see them going full frontal vs ISIS Airforce (aka USA)

IMO Russia is regrouping and waiting to see what happens to react. I doubt they will make the first move

A mere s200 shot down an F16 and they still have s300 and even s400 on standby.

This is a royal fuckup and :lmao 2 NATO allies invading a country separtely

:lol shithole alliance

[hater]

This is where we will finally get to see if Trump really has been compromised by the Russians.

That theory would predict that Trump will back down and abandon his allies rather than cross Russia. He will "declare victory" over ISIS, and get the US out, abandoning the Kurds.

:lmao thinking Trump has any decision making in Syria

Trump ordered 60 cruise missiles at Syria and called it a career. Now its the neocons and generals who are making the decision.

Qnd lol no we are not leaving Syria. We are taking over their East oil fields. Thats what we do

[hater]

2018 shaping up to be a modafucka
- russian jet shot down
- swarm of drones attacks russian bases
- russian contractors killed by US
- Turks jump in
- 2 Turkish choppers shot down and dozen soldiers killed
- up to 1000 kurds killed by turkey
- israel bombs Syria and claims 1/2 syrian air defense is gone
- 1 or 2? Israeli jets shot down

Shit is getting real :wow

Howcome cnn/fox media outlets barely speak of this war?? They should be covering this 24/7. This could easily start of WW3 and pussy US media too chickenshit to covr it

1 month to go for Russian elctions. Its gonna be a brutal month

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Huh? I already said they do it and we do it too. Try to conceal our secret ops of course

What I laugh at is at his blanket statement that Russian contractors are also active russian military :lmao

No proof :lol

Airborne infantry brigades are not special ops. Thanks for playing though.

[Mark Celibate]

SAA to afrin? Wonder if Turkey is a part of the agreement. Doubt Turkey will attack SAA. It’s a lot easier for America to violate international law without reprisal than say turkey.

https://southfront.org/reconnaissance-init-of-syrian-army-entered-afrin-area-report/ (https://southfront.org/reconnaissance-init-of-syrian-army-entered-afrin-area-report/)