Russia is transferring long-range artillery systems to Syria, which are expected to be deployed in the northwest of the Arab Republic. The information has evidenced by data from local sources, which previously distributed photos and videos of Russian weapons arriving in the SAR on social networks, EDNews reports citing Bulgarian Military News.
Among the most frequently mentioned ground attack systems in recent days is the 152-mm towed 2A65 Msta-B howitzer. There were suggestions that these weapons could be purchased by the Syrian Armed Forces in the event of a new exacerbation on the Idlib front, where a ceasefire has been generally observed since March 6.
Earlier it became known that Turkey increased the number of self-propelled artillery T-155 Fırtına deployed in Idlib and Aleppo provinces. These 155-mm howitzers recently appeared in the area of the city of Sarmin in the east of Idlib.
“Msta-B” breaks through a distance of 30 kilometers, and when using active-rocket shells – all 40 km. If the version of Damascus’s purchase of an impressive batch of Russian long-range systems is confirmed, then the Syrian government forces will be able to conduct targeted fire on Islamist militants from their current positions on the Idlib front up to the Turkish border.
On March 5, the presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, entered into an agreement according to which a ceasefire regime entered into force in the Idlib de-escalation zone. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad later said that if the US and Turkish military do not leave the country, Damascus would be able to use force.
