Will the US attack on Syria lead to a third world war? Will the US strike on Syria lead to a third world war? Regimental priest on the difference in worldviews of military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the LPR

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union that the time has come to think about the post-war reconstruction of Syria.

“I believe that the international community should already think about the post-war restoration of the state, how, in what forms, and how much to provide assistance to this and other countries in the region, how to more effectively promote their socio-economic development, strengthening state institutions, including the legislative branch authorities,” Putin said.

Damascus is protesting against the entry of Turkish troops into the Syrian province of Idlib to create a fourth de-escalation zone. This was reported by the SANA agency, citing an official source in the Syrian Foreign Ministry.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry called the entry of Turkish troops into the northwestern region of the country “a blatant and unjustified act of aggression against the sovereignty and security of Syria and a monstrous violation of international law.” The Foreign Ministry noted that Ankara’s actions are not consistent with the agreements reached earlier at inter-Syrian negotiations in Astana, and even contradict them. Damascus demands the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syrian territory without any conditions.

As part of the implementation of the Memorandum on the creation of de-escalation zones in the Syrian Arab Republic, control groups continued to monitor compliance with the ceasefire.

The situation in the de-escalation zones is assessed as stable.

The Russian part of the representative office recorded 9 cases of shooting in the provinces: Aleppo - 3, Daraa - 3, Damascus - 3.

The Turkish part of the mission recorded 3 violations in the provinces: Hama - 1, Damascus - 2.

During the day, the Center for Reconciliation of Warring Parties in the SAR did not carry out humanitarian actions.

In total, 1645 humanitarian actions were carried out.

The total weight of the delivered humanitarian cargo is 2232.9 tons.

During the day, Russian military doctors provided medical assistance to 1 person.

In total, medical assistance was provided to 59,744 residents.

During the day, agreements on the accession of settlements to the cessation of hostilities regime were not signed.

The number of settlements that joined the reconciliation process did not change - 2249.

The number of armed formations that have declared their commitment to accepting and fulfilling the conditions for the cessation of hostilities has not changed - 234.

A rally in support of Russia’s actions in Syria was held near the Russian Embassy in Paris, it was organized by branches of the Union of Syrian Patriots and the Union of Syrian Students associations.

The branch of the National Union of Syrian Students in Slovakia, on Freedom Square in Bratislava, held an action of solidarity with Syria and its army, which was attended by students, representatives of the Syrian community and members of the socialist and communist parties in Slovakia.

The child immunization program in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor could be affected if information is confirmed that the only cold storage facility for vaccines in Mayadin district was destroyed during fighting, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Current map of the military situation in the SAR.

Aleppo: In Aleppo, restoration of the most important irrigation canal has begun, supplying water to the northern part of the province, where the country's largest fields and plantations are located, the NTV channel reports.

Video: arrival of a humanitarian convoy.

Idlib. Video: strike by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the Headquarters of the Faylaq Al Sham group.

A Turkish army convoy has intruded into the areas surrounding the Samaan Citadel south of the Afrin region, raising doubts about the reality of the stated goals of the Turkish state in its military operations in Idlib and the surrounding Afrin region. Sources report a Turkish army convoy numbering more than 200 military vehicles, the Kurdish publication ANHA states.

Hama. The Syrian Arab Army carried out attacks on the positions of HTS militants in the area of ​​the village. Abu Dali.

Damascus. Militants shelled the capital's Al-Abbassiyin neighborhood, resulting in four people being wounded, SANA reports.

Hasakah. Coalition aircraft near the city of Shadaddi destroyed two combat positions and an IS logistics hub.

Deir ez-Zor. The Deir ez-Zor military airport is once again accepting aviation. A Syrian Air Force plane landed at Deir ez-Zor airport for the first time in a year.

In the city of Deir ez-Zor, fighting continues in the As-Sinaa and Al-Orfi neighborhoods, SANA reports. There is also fighting in the Ummal region.

Video from the village of Hatlah liberated the day before

On the eastern bank of the Euphrates there are battles for the settlements of Janenah and Husanyah.

SAA took n.p. Al-Salahiyah.

Syrian government troops have completed an operation to destroy militants of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group banned in Russia in the city of Mayadin, said the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov.

“Assault units of the Syrian army under the command of General Hassan Suhel, having broken the fierce resistance of terrorists in the central and southern quarters, completely liberated the city,” he said, noting that Mayadin was “the most powerful fortified terrorist area in eastern Syria.” A representative of the Russian defense department indicated that currently the assault troops of General Suhel, with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, are developing an offensive against the positions of the Islamic State.

“The defeat of the terrorists in Mayadin created the necessary conditions for the tactical success of the Syrian troops to develop into operational success,” Konashenkov concluded.

Video from Al-Mayadeen:

Report from RT.

About ten SDF fighters were killed during an attack by IS militants in the Al-Jazrah oil field. The Al-Jazrah oil field itself is under the complete control of Kurdish forces.

The SDF recaptured the village from ISIS. Al-Janna and Al-Ushaytah.

Coalition aircraft near the city of Abu Kamal destroyed the IS headquarters building.

Raqqa. Fighting in the city of Raqqa, which militants of the Islamic State group banned in Russia called their capital in Syria, continues; the time has not yet come to talk about a complete victory in the city over the Islamic State. A representative of the US-led coalition, whose forces have been fighting for the city since June, told Reuters about this.

"We expect heavy fighting in the coming days and have not set a timeline for the complete defeat of ISIS in Raqqa," Ryan Dillon said.

In the area of ​​the city of Raqqa, about 100 militants of the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS, banned in Russia) surrendered over the past 24 hours, Ryan Dillon also reported. “The militants who surrendered were taken out of the city. We still expect difficult fighting in the coming days and will continue to support our Syrian opposition partners in their fight against ISIS,” Dillon was quoted as saying by The New York Times.

The Russian Ministry of Defense condemned the US actions in Syria, announcing thousands of casualties during ill-prepared operations.

The United States is bombing residential areas in Raqqa and destroying water supplies. This was announced on Saturday by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, TASS reports.

“The carpet bombing of residential areas with people and the deliberate destruction of all natural sources of water supply in Raqqa, used by the United States and the coalition, have so far brought nothing but thousands of victims of the “liberated” population and vivid examples of illiterate planning of this military operation,” he said.

Konashenkov noted that such actions contrast sharply with the successful offensive of Syrian government troops on Mayadin, which was liberated from ISIS militants today.

A statement from the Raqqa Tribal Council confirms agreements with the SDF on the withdrawal of Syrian IS fighters from Raqqa:

We, the elders of the tribes of Raqqa, declare that we want to end the bloodshed and end the tragedy of our people, after they were deceived by terrorists and hypocrites, and only a few of them still remain trapped in one or more points of the city, they do not have nothing but surrender or choosing death. We appealed to the Syrian Democratic Forces with a request to resolve the situation inside the city for local fighters and provide them with access to areas outside the city with our guarantees, and the Syrian Democratic Forces agreed with the content of this call.

We are now organizing a mechanism to remove these deceived people, to preserve the lives of the civilians they have taken as human shields and to protect the rest of the city from death and destruction.

Therefore, we declare to the public that we, as the elders of the Al-Raqqa clans, will ensure the lives of those who will be removed.

We hope that we will move on to other areas with steps to ensure security and peace in our country and clean up the abomination of terrorism and injustice, and live like others in our heroic city that fought terrorism on behalf of peace.

We reiterate our gratitude to the Syrian democratic forces who responded positively to our call, understood the nature of our tribal society and demonstrated their understanding for the lives of defenseless civilians.

Death to terrorism and victory to our peoples.

Sheikhs and dignitaries of the tribes of Raqqa 10/14/2017

According to human rights activists, all Syrian militants of the terrorist organization “Islamic State” (IS) have already left Raqqa. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on the morning of Saturday, October 14, that the last group of jihadists left the city last night.

Militants and their families have been transported from Raqqa over the past days according to an agreement reached between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Islamists. It is not noted where exactly they were sent.

Now measures are being taken to remove foreign members of the Islamic State from the city who still remain in Raqqa. Their exact number is still unclear.

Only foreign mercenaries of the “Caliphate” remain in the city. The decision not to let foreigners out of the city was made by the command of the international coalition led by the United States and communicated to the Kurdish leadership.

“The convoy of vehicles is scheduled to leave Raqqa on October 14 as part of an agreement reached on October 12 through the mediation of the Raqqa Civil Council and local Arab tribal elders. This agreement, designed to minimize civilian casualties, does not, according to its text, include foreign IS fighters,” the coalition said in a statement. People who leave the city will then be searched by members of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Despite the fact that the coalition itself did not participate in the process of agreeing on the agreement, the operation headquarters is convinced that it will allow “the SDF and the coalition to concentrate their attention on defeating the Islamic State in Raqqa.” “We do not support agreements that would allow terrorists to escape justice and then appear somewhere else,” emphasizes Brigadier General Jonathan Braga, the coalition’s chief of operations.

As Reuters reports, citing a representative of the Raqqa city council, the Kurdish forces leading the battles in the city allowed all militants of the Islamic State (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) to leave it. At the same time, the 400 hostages they held in the Raqqa National Hospital will be a guarantee of security for the militants.

There is no information yet about where the terrorists will go and where they will release the hostages.

In the city of Raqqa, the Nahdah district has been cleared of IS militants.

11th of March. Damascus. In the Eastern Ghouta region of Damascus province, the army achieved new successes, liberating several settlements from Jabhat Al-Nusra and armed groups associated with it.

In recent hours, fighting has been concentrated in areas around Misraba and Mdeira. Their release is necessary to completely cut off the lines of communication and supply between terrorists in the south and north of Eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian army is successfully liberating street after street in the village of Misraba, the militants are suffering heavy losses, are constantly retreating and are close to a state of complete panic.

Good progress is also being observed on the Aftris plantations, where the gangs also suffered significant losses in manpower and equipment.

At the same time, military personnel continue to ensure the security of humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians blocked by terrorists.

Deir ez-Zor. During the clearing of territories in the settlement of As-Sayal near the city of Mukhasan and the villages of Hasrat Al-Sweya and Al-Hara between the cities of Al-Bukamal and Mayadin in the east of Deir ez-Zor province, large terrorist warehouses with a large amount of firearms and ammunition were found , military equipment, technical devices and missile launchers.

Warehouses were installed in underground storage facilities near residential buildings.

Aleppo. Turkish regime forces and their terrorist mercenaries continue to violate UN Security Council Resolution 2401 by shelling populated areas in the Afrin region with all types of weapons.

Today, according to a SANA correspondent, one civilian was killed and another was injured. Great destruction was caused to houses and infrastructure in the villages of Al-Mastawrada and Tarmisha.

The total number of civilian deaths as a result of Turkish aggression exceeded 222 people, most of whom were women and children. The number of wounded reached at least 700 people. These figures do not take into account the victims of those residents of the Afrin region whose bodies remain under the rubble.

In the course of the ongoing aggression, the civilian population is forced to leave their homes and move to the center of the region, which is in dire need of food and medicine, being on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe, the correspondent emphasized.

In addition, Turkish regime forces used heavy artillery to fire at populated areas in the Maabatli area, causing extensive material damage.

Several militants emerged from Eastern Ghouta in the area of ​​the Al-Wafideen camp

Yesterday evening, several armed men left Eastern Ghouta through the humanitarian corridor in the area of ​​the Al-Wafideen refugee camp in Damascus province.

According to a SANA correspondent, a bus was waiting for the militants to take them out of the area.

The day before, in the village of Hammuriya, local residents held a protest rally, calling for the exit of the militants and the arrival of the Syrian army. A few days earlier, the national flag of Syria was raised over Saqba and Hammuriya.

Terrorists continue to prevent civilians from leaving Eastern Ghouta through the safe corridors in the Al-Wafideen camp and from Jisrin towards Mlekha, firing shells and explosive bullets at the roads, as well as detaining those who want to leave the areas under their control, SANA reports.

A summary of news from the past day about key events in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Reports from global news agencies, Arab and Western sources, including social media users. The reviews contain military maps, photographs and videos of the most significant events.

SYRIA

The United States is ready to strike Syria again if the UN is unable to achieve a ceasefire in the Eastern Ghouta region near Damascus. This warning was made by US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley at a meeting of the Security Council on Monday. Shortly before this, the American delegation circulated a draft resolution demanding an end to military operations in Damascus and its suburbs.

Haley recalled that in April 2017, the United States attacked a Syrian government air base from which, according to Western countries, planes took off to carry out a chemical attack in the city of Khan Sheikhoun. “The Security Council failed to act, and the United States successfully struck the airbase from which Assad launched his chemical attack. Today we repeat this warning,” the diplomat said.

She expressed support for UN efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the population of Syria, as well as the political process under the auspices of the world organization in Geneva, but at the same time issued a warning to countries that seek to “impose their will through chemical attacks and inhumane suffering.” According to her, this “especially concerns the Syrian regime.”

“The United States remains ready to act if necessary. This is not the path we prefer, but it is the path we have demonstrated we will choose. We are ready to elect him again,” said the American permanent representative.

As Reuters previously reported, the United States submitted a new draft resolution to the UN Security Council, which contains a demand to introduce a truce for a period of 30 days in Damascus and its suburb of Eastern Ghouta. The draft document asks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to urgently develop proposals for monitoring compliance with the proposed truce.

As Nikki Haley stated, the adoption of this document is necessary because the resolution establishing a 30-day humanitarian pause, approved by the Security Council on February 24, did not achieve its goal. She placed responsibility for this on Damascus and Russia, which, according to her, had no intention of implementing the resolution under the pretext that it allowed the continuation of counter-terrorism operations. “In the last two weeks, the Russian and Syrian regime have been very busy labeling every opposition group in Eastern Ghouta as terrorist groups,” she alleged.

“We have prepared a new draft resolution on establishing a ceasefire, which will not leave any loopholes. It is simple, straightforward and mandatory. The resolution will take effect immediately upon adoption and contains no counterterrorism loopholes that Assad, Iran and Russia could exploit,” Haley said.

UN Security Council Resolution 2401 establishing a truce in Syria must be implemented without delay. This was the call made by the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, on Monday, opening the plenary session of the meeting in Strasbourg.

“No single interest can justify ethnic cleansing, barbarity, or the massacre of innocent people. On your behalf and on behalf of the entire institution, I want to make a formal call for the immediate implementation of the Security Council resolution,” he said, addressing European parliamentarians.

As Tajani emphasized, in Syria there is now “an urgent need for a lasting truce.” “Civilians must be protected, the wounded and sick must be evacuated, security must be the goal,” Tajani said.

He emphasized that all these measures “must be carried out within the framework of the Geneva process.” “Everyone must take measures to ensure that this tragedy ends,” the politician said.

The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, on Monday counted the number of times Western countries mentioned Russia at a Security Council meeting about the situation in Syria. As the diplomat said, US Permanent Representative Nikki Haley did this most often; she mentioned Russia 22 times.

According to him, “it’s not just the mention itself that matters, but also the context in which it was made.” In their speeches, diplomats from Western countries tried to hold Russia responsible for failure to comply with Security Council Resolution 2401, which contains a demand for a cessation of hostilities in Syria in order to carry out humanitarian operations.

As Nebenzya stated, the anti-Russian rhetoric of Western countries is part of a “political line” that is “caused not only and not so much by concern for the humanitarian needs of the Syrians.” “We consider it important for everyone to understand: resolution 2401 is not about a momentary ceasefire, which would be a utopia, but about a preliminary agreement between the parties as a condition for sustainable de-escalation in all difficult areas of Syria, not only in Eastern Ghouta. This is the only realistic way, and the resolution contains an unequivocal requirement in this regard, and we are trying to facilitate this,” the Russian diplomat emphasized.

Nebenzya assured that Russia not only attaches great importance to the effective implementation of the resolution, but is also making concrete efforts for this, “unlike some capitals, whose representatives have settled comfortably, doing nothing, scolding the Syrian regime, as they put it, and making endless claims Russia."

A new military action against Syria, which the United States has threatened, will deal a severe blow to stability in the Middle East. This warning was made on Monday by the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, at a meeting of the Security Council.

According to him, militants in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta are trying to provoke aggression against Syria. He said that on March 5, members of the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra (banned in the Russian Federation) used a “chlorine-containing substance” in the area, as a result of which 30 civilians were injured. They immediately try to blame pro-government forces for such attacks, Nebenzya noted.

“All this is being done in order to prepare the ground for unilateral military actions against sovereign Syria. We heard hints of this in the speeches of some delegations today. In fact, steps are being weighed that could deal another severe blow to regional stability,” the diplomat said.

At the same time, he drew attention to reports that in areas liberated from armed groups, “more and more caches of chemicals are being discovered.” However, the relevant structures of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons “react very sluggishly to requests from the Syrian authorities,” the permanent representative of the Russian Federation emphasized.

The counter-terrorism operation in the suburbs of Damascus does not contradict UN Security Council Resolution 2401.

“The counter-terrorism operation that the Syrian military continues does not contradict resolution 2401. The Syrian government has every right to seek to eliminate the security threat to its citizens. The Damascus suburb cannot remain a breeding ground for terrorists,” the diplomat said.

According to him, “it is the incessant attempts of terrorists to disrupt the cessation of hostilities that is responsible for the continued tension in Syria.” “Of course, the most tense area in this regard is Eastern Ghouta,” noted the Russian permanent representative.

He assured that Russia “will continue efforts to implement resolution 2401,” adopted on February 24 and demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria for humanitarian operations. “But we demand that some of our colleagues go their part and have a real impact on the groups they support and sponsor, and not endlessly appeal to Russia, creating the false impression that this resolution concerns us exclusively,” Nebenzya added.

The US-led coalition in Syria continues to commit massacres of Syrians, and to date the number of victims of its operations cannot be counted. This was stated by Syria's permanent representative to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, in a letter published on Monday. In a document sent to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council, the diplomat accused the United States and its allies of supporting militants of the Islamic State terrorist group banned in the Russian Federation.

He drew attention to the incident on February 25, when coalition aircraft bombed residential buildings in the villages of Shaafa and Zahrat Alluni in Deir ez-Zor province. The bombing killed 29 civilians and injured dozens, mostly women and children. “In addition, residential buildings, personal property and rural infrastructure were seriously damaged,” said Bashar Jaafari.

In addition, the coalition continues to help the remnants of the Islamic State militants and seeks to form on their basis separatist groups operating at the behest of the United States in the provinces of Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. “Such actions confirm that the only goal of this coalition, which violates international law, is to undermine the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and prolong the Syrian crisis,” the diplomat wrote.

Jaafari called on the Security Council to “immediately take action to put an end to war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed by the coalition. According to him, the UN Security Council must also “achieve an end to the illegal presence of American forces on Syrian territory and not allow the United States to implement its insidious plan to dismember the Syrian Arab Republic and plunder its resources.” “This policy must be condemned and those responsible for its implementation exposed,” the Syrian permanent representative argued.

In another letter, also published on Monday, the diplomat cited data on the number of civilians killed as a result of militant attacks in Syria. According to the Syrian government, between January 22, 2017 and February 21, 2018, 92 people, including 25 children, became victims of terrorist attacks, and another 356 civilians were injured.

It is difficult to imagine a solution to the Syrian problem without dialogue with Russia. This opinion was expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday during a press conference he held during his visit to India.

“Since May last year [since Macron’s election as president], France has been pursuing a constant and consistent policy in relations with Russia,” the French leader noted. “We strive for an effective dialogue that would lead to concrete results,” he emphasized.

“Did the complete lack of dialogue with Russia in previous years help progress on the Syrian issue? “I don’t think so,” Macron noted. “We have therefore relied on a constant and demanding dialogue.”

“If Russia is threatening, it must also be threatened,” was the headline of an interview with the previous French President Francois Hollande to the Monde newspaper on Monday, March 12. Hollande stated the need to use new methods of pressure on the Kremlin and once again expressed regret over the decision of Obama, who in 2013, succumbing to Putin’s entreaties, refused to conduct a joint American-French operation against Assad.

Hollande initiated the interview, emphasizing that he could not silently watch what was happening in Syria. Despite the fact that the ex-president now does not have the opportunity to implement his wishes, his interview is of great interest, since it touches on the main issues related to the policies of the leading Western powers in the Syrian war.

The first question concerns the notorious “red line” in Syria, which was “drawn” by Barack Obama in 2012. Then he said that if Assad uses chemical weapons, a tough response will follow. In 2013, Western observers recorded at least two cases of the use of chemical weapons - as a result, the French and Americans agreed at the end of August to strike “Assad’s positions.” The blow, as we know, was not delivered, since in the end Obama believed Putin, who promised that the Syrian regime would no longer cross the “red line” and destroy all its stockpiles of chemical weapons. But the “incidents” were repeated later, which allowed President Macron to declare to Putin’s face on May 31, 2017, during their joint press conference in Versailles, that a response would be given to “any use of chemical weapons” in Syria - “in at least from France."

According to the UN Children's Fund, at least 900 children took part in the fighting in Syria in 2017, a quarter of them were under 15 years old. That same year, 244 children were detained in Syria, according to a UNICEF report published on Monday, March 12. Similar violations of children's rights have been committed by every side in the Syrian conflict, said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Geert Kappeler.

The situation for children in the conflict region has worsened even further in the past year. What aid workers saw in Eastern Ghouta was “worse than what they saw in eastern Aleppo,” the spokesman went on to say.

In total, UNICEF estimates that more than 1.5 million people have suffered severe physical and mental trauma during the nearly seven years of war in Syria. In particular, about 86 thousand people lost limbs as a result of hostilities. The lack of adequate medical and psychological care often means that those affected in the Syrian conflict are slow to recover, often worsening their condition, the report further states.

The United States wants to split Syria, said Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Colonel General Alexander Fomin.

According to him, the US plans are “clear.” They consist in the intention to “split Syria despite promises” to preserve its territorial integrity. Fomin said that militants supported by the United States are “cooperating” with the terrorist organization “Islamic State”, and “this is again happening under the leadership and control of the Americans,” writes Red Star.

The deputy minister noted that today Washington is encouraging separatist-minded national minorities, including the Kurds, RIA Novosti reports.

“At the same time, they are talking about creating a certain security zone under the control of certain formations, the number of which, according to the latest data, is 40 thousand people,” Fomin noted.

The United States decided to convene a meeting in Jordan to discuss the functioning of the de-escalation zone in southwest Syria and the situation in this region. As reported by Reuters, the US State Department announced this on Monday.

According to him, the Foreign Ministry is extremely concerned about reports of strikes in southwest Syria. If this information is correct, this is a clear violation of the ceasefire in the southwest by government forces, the State Department notes.

“We call on all forces operating in the southwest de-escalation zone not to take actions that would jeopardize the ceasefire and impede future cooperation,” the statement said, as quoted by Reuters. “We have convened an urgent meeting in Jordan to review the situation in southwest Syria and ensure the functioning of the de-escalation zone that the United States was involved in negotiating.”

The State Department has not yet provided TASS with the original statement.

A trilateral summit of Russia, Turkey and Iran on the Syrian settlement will be held in Istanbul on April 4. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag announced this at a press conference on Monday. His speech was broadcast by the Haberturk TV channel.

“The meeting of the Cooperation Council at the highest level will be held on April 3, and Putin will also take part in it. Then on April 4, the Turkey-Russia-Iran summit on Syria will be held in Istanbul,” he said.

Information about the departure of Russian embassy personnel from Damascus that appeared on Arab social networks does not correspond to reality. A TASS correspondent was informed about this at the Russian Embassy in Damascus.

“We are in place, we are all working, as you can hear,” the interlocutor said on the phone. The embassy also recommended that for official information about the work of the diplomatic mission, contact the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In Ingushetia, a criminal case has been opened against a local resident who is suspected of participating in hostilities in Syria on the side of terrorists for more than three years.

Aleppo. During an operation in Syrian Afrin, the Turkish army neutralized 3,347 members of the PYD (Kurdish Democratic Union Party), YPG (Kurdish Self-Defense Forces), as well as the terrorist group ISIS (IS, not in Aleppo province) banned in Russia. The General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces reported this.

The Turkish Armed Forces reported the death of one serviceman. The number of Turkish Armed Forces personnel killed in Operation Olive Branch has reached 43.

Turkish troops and formations of the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA) established control on Monday over a Kurdish military training base northeast of the city of Afrin (65 km from Aleppo). This was reported by the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

According to her information, the Turkish military also occupied the military airfield in Babilit. Both of these facilities served as training centers for the People's Protection Forces (YPG), which form the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces armed coalition. Before the start of Operation Olive Branch on January 20, American instructors were stationed there in northern Syria.

According to the publication, Turkish troops and TFSA militants have now completely blocked Afrin. The encircled YPG units, however, refused to capitulate and refused the mediators’ offer to leave this administrative center, moving to the Kurdish areas north of Aleppo. “We are Syrians and we defend our land; it is unacceptable for us to transfer Afrin to the control of terrorist gangs associated with al-Qaeda (banned in the Russian Federation), which are fighting on the side of Turkey,” said YPG spokesman Nuri Mahmoud.

As the Firat agency reported on Monday, Kurdish troops continue to hold the line and strike the enemy. According to him, within 24 hours, as a result of attacks, YPG fighters killed 125 Turkish soldiers and TFSA militants.

20 new victims of Turkey's Operation Olive Branch are being buried in Afrin.

The Afrin regional government calls for an end to Turkish aggression.

A large-scale military offensive in Turkey has caused a mass exodus of civilians from the Afrin region, the opposition London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Monday.

According to the SOHR report, more than 10,000 civilians fled the Afrin area into government-controlled areas.

Turkish sources report that YPG fighters are preventing residents of the city from leaving Afrin.

TFSA militants, with the support of the Turkish Air Force and Armed Forces, continued their offensive in the Afrin area, Kurdish forces abandoned the settlements: Kutanli, Abila, Bilan, Al-Rans al-Ahmar, Bisalhaya, Zindikan, Qala, Askan, Jalima, Qarqin and Burj Kumush.

TFSA militants control more than twenty villages around Afrin.

Video of Turkish helicopter attack.

There have been unconfirmed reports on social media that the YPG has handed over several towns in northern Aleppo to the pro-government National Defense Forces (NDF). According to reports, the National Defense Forces are now in control of Tell Rifaat, Deir Jamal, Kimar, Al-Ziyara, Burj al-Qass ), Bashmara, Busufan, Menagh and Menagh Military Airbase.

Idlib. HTS militants continue shelling the besieged settlements of Foua and Kafraya.

In response to these attacks, the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out airstrikes on jihadist positions located near Foua and Kafraya in the area of ​​the settlements: Taoum, Taftanaz, Binnish, Maarat Misrin and Ram Hamdan ( Ram Hamdan).

Jabhat Tahrir Suriya (Ahrar al-Sham and Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) resumed internecine fighting in the areas of the village. Babila, Maar Shurin, Al-Jarada, Ahsem, Al-Bara and Deir Sunbul.

Damascus. Over the past 24 hours, militants in Eastern Ghouta have fired 30 mines into residential areas of Damascus and its suburbs. According to the head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria, Major General Yuri Yevtushenko, three civilians were killed and another 22 were injured.

“The situation in Eastern Ghouta remains the most tense. Over the past 24 hours, 16 mortar attacks were recorded on residential areas of Damascus and its suburbs, during which 30 mines were fired. There is destruction. Three civilians were killed and 22 wounded,” Yevtushenko said. He added that 17 families of 76 people, including 49 children, were taken out through the humanitarian corridor.

In addition, a rally was held in the village of Kafer Batna with the participation of more than three thousand residents who demanded that the militants open unimpeded passage to the Jisrain humanitarian corridor.

According to Yevtushenkov, “when people tried to leave in the direction of the humanitarian corridor, the militants opened fire on them.” “As a result, five people died. The passage point remains blocked,” the general said.

Two people were killed when the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, located on the outskirts of Damascus, was shelled. This was reported by the Syrian news agency SANA.

The militants reportedly opened fire with mortars from the captured part of the camp on its outskirts in the area of ​​the Al-Busheir mosque, which is now under the control of government troops. According to Syrian media, two people were killed and four more were injured.

The first batch of HTS jihadists from the southern Damascus region of Al-Qadam left for Idlib after an agreement was reached with the Syrian government.

ISIS attacked the Al-Qadam area after the withdrawal of HTS militants from it began.

The largest group in eastern Ghouta, Jaysh al-Islam, said it had reached an agreement with Russia to evacuate wounded fighters for treatment in government-run hospitals.

Government aircraft carried out strikes on designated targets in the Arbeen area.

The Syrian Arab army recaptured the village from the Faylaq al-Rahman group. Aftris in Eastern Ghouta.

Video of fighting in Eastern Ghouta.

Daraa. Al Masdar news agency reports an alleged attack on government forces by jihadist groups.

Deir ez-Zor. An IS field hospital has been found in the city of Abu Kamal.

IRAQ

At least ten Iraqis became victims of an ambush by IS terrorists on the Baghdad-Kirkuk road, local TV channel Al Sumaria reported, citing a security source, RIA Novosti reports.

“IS militants set up a fake checkpoint on a section of the Baghdad-Kirkuk road near the village of Maftul and killed 10 civilians,” the source said. He added that security forces have surrounded the scene and are looking for the terrorist attackers.

At least one person was killed and three others were injured in an explosion in Baghdad. Al-Ghad Press reports this. According to media reports, an improvised explosive device went off near a market in the Tarmiya area. All victims were hospitalized.

None of the extremist groups operating in Iraq has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

One of the largest agro-industrial holdings in Russia, Miratorg, has begun supplying meat to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain, said Miratorg President Viktor Linnik.

“We are, in fact, at the very beginning of our journey to export meat, but we are already exporting meat and meat products to more than 30 countries around the world. We started exporting to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq - mainly the countries of the Persian Gulf,” Linnik said, speaking at the All-Russian Forum of Agricultural Producers, in which Russian President Vladimir Putin took part.

Diplomats of Kyrgyzstan sent a note to Iraq asking for information about several compatriots imprisoned in Baghdad on terrorism charges. AKIpress reports this.

Earlier it became known that three citizens of Kyrgyzstan are in a Baghdad prison along with ten young children. This was reported by the media of Kyrgyzstan with reference to RIA Novosti.

The women were arrested on charges of terrorism and illegal border crossing. Their trial was scheduled to take place on March 6. However, the source did not report his decision.

In addition to them, there are about a hundred Russian women in prison.

IRAN

The Eurasian Economic Union (EurAsEC), led by Russia, may welcome Iran as a new member in May 2018. Russian Energy Minister A. Novak announced this on March 12, 2018.

According to the minister, who is also co-chairman of the Russian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission, the transition to concluding a temporary agreement on the creation of a free trade area between Iran and EurAsEC, which is currently at an advanced stage, will contribute to the further development of bilateral trade and the expansion of investment cooperation.

US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Britain, Germany and France have offered him only "cosmetic changes" to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program, which he does not consider satisfactory. The information portal Axios reported this on Sunday, citing sources in the Israeli government.

According to them, the American leader told the prime minister that Washington would withdraw from the JCPOA if its demands were not met. Trump, in particular, emphasized that he was not going to “show flexibility” during negotiations with London, Berlin and Paris on adjusting the JCPOA. He said that he demands “significant changes” to this document, and not the development of an additional agreement between the United States and European countries. As the portal noted, the White House and Netanyahu’s office refused to comment, but did not deny the fact of the conversation that took place on March 5, when the prime minister visited Washington on an official visit.

According to Axios, Trump has set May 12 as the deadline for reaching an agreement with the UK, Germany and France on changes to the JCPOA. Over the past two months, two rounds of consultations between senior diplomats from the four countries have taken place in London and Paris. The third round is expected to take place on Thursday in Berlin.

The accusations and attacks against Iran made at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) are a clear example of the politicization of human rights issues. This position was stated on Monday by the Russian delegation at the 37th session of the UNHRC in Geneva.

During the interactive dialogue, the US criticized Tehran for its “violent suppression of peaceful protests”, the UK expressed “deep concerns about discrimination against religious minorities”, and Canada expressed “concerns about poor conditions in detention centers” in Iran. Delegations from France, Belgium, Norway, Iceland, Israel and New Zealand also made reproaches and accusations against Tehran.

In this regard, the representative of the Russian delegation, Kristina Sukacheva, stated that the HRC once again showed a “politicized and opportunistic approach to the issue of ensuring and protecting human rights.” “You don’t need to be a professional to understand: some of the accusations and attacks made against Iran are elements of one strategy, the goal of which is anything but the triumph of humanism and justice,” Sukacheva said. “Discussion of the Iranian issue at the HRC has nothing to do with concern for human rights in this country.”

The attacks by Western countries were resolutely rejected by the Secretary General of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani. He recalled the “immense atrocities” committed by the United States in Yemen and other countries, expressing bewilderment that Washington and its European allies “consider themselves leaders in the field of human rights.” Larijani rejected the position that Western liberal values ​​are considered the only correct way of life.

The representative of Belarus noted at the session that the report on Iran prepared by UN Special Rapporteur Catalina Devandas Aguilar does not contain objective information. The situation in the field of rights and freedoms in a particular country must be considered while respecting its sovereignty, he recalled.

The Cuban delegation regarded the presence of a special procedure on Iran in the HRC as “an example of politicization and double standards.” According to the Venezuelan delegation, such practices seriously undermine the legitimacy of the HRC. The representative of the DPRK in his speech emphasized that the report on Iran is far from reality, contains distorted information and ignores positive changes in the country.

The British news service BBC has filed an unprecedented complaint to the UN against the Iranian authorities, who are accused of “persecuting journalists” of this media organization.

According to the Air Force leadership, the Iranian authorities came to the attention of its Persian service employees, as well as members of families living in the Islamic Republic, who became objects of a “campaign of intimidation.”

The Iranian government is said to have launched attacks on the BBC Persian Service following the 2009 presidential elections, which led to widespread anti-government protests in Tehran.

BBC journalists are planning to speak at a session of the UN Human Rights Council in the near future to urge member states of the United Nations to take measures to protect their employees and ensure their right to free expression.

Russia will open a special service center in Iran for after-sales maintenance of air defense equipment. This was stated by Vladimir Kozhin, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation on military-technical cooperation.

“The same Iran, where we delivered our air defense equipment, is now building a special service center,” he said, noting that the military-technical cooperation direction of creating Russian service centers “will definitely develop.”

In 2016, Russia supplied Iran with the S-300 defensive anti-aircraft missile system under a previously concluded contract, RIA Novosti recalls.

Dagestan enterprises intend to export 2.5 thousand tons of lamb to Iran in 2018, which is seven times more than last year, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Food of Dagestan Kerimkhan Abasov told TASS on the sidelines of the All-Russian Forum of Agricultural Producers in Krasnodar.

“Last year we sent 340 tons to Iran so far, but this year - 2.5 thousand tons,” said the agency’s interlocutor, noting that last year problems arose at the customs post between Dagestan and Azerbaijan, but now they have been resolved.

According to Abasov, a good pricing policy has been established with Iran. “Every time, at their request, we prepare and slaughter livestock,” he noted.

The Kavkaz-Meat company from Karachay-Cherkessia began supplying lamb to Iran in 2018, already exporting about 100 tons of meat, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic Yulia Samsonova reported to TASS on Monday on the sidelines of the All-Russian Forum of Agricultural Producers.

“Several years ago, negotiations began with the Iranian side on the supply of chilled lamb meat to Iran - they have a number of criteria.<…>Our plant met all the requirements, there are specialists at the required level, the line allows us to produce high-quality products. A contract was concluded for the supply of 500 tons, and now approximately 100 tons have been delivered,” the interlocutor said.

She added that negotiations are currently underway on the supply of corn grain to Iran with a total volume of up to 100 thousand tons. “We have large manufacturers who use modern production technologies, we have the opportunity to accumulate products - we have our own wholesale distribution center,” noted the deputy minister.

A contract for the supply of lamb to Iran was signed for a period of one year; it was planned to send it in batches of 11-14 tons.

On the night of March 12, a man armed with a knife attacked a soldier of the Austrian armed forces who was on duty at the residence of the Iranian ambassador in Vienna. A 26-year-old Austrian citizen approached the security post without warning and wounded a soldier in the left shoulder, DW reports.

The guard, acting according to instructions, first sprayed pepper gas. After this did not have the desired effect, he fired four shots from his service weapon and fatally wounded the attacker, who died on the spot. The motives for his actions are being established.

The residence security guard was taken to the hospital and is in shock. By order of the police, security at diplomatic missions throughout Vienna has been strengthened for security reasons.

The flight recorder was found at the crash site of a private Turkish plane in Iran. The IRNA news agency reported this on Monday, citing local authorities.

According to the agency, the black box will be delivered to specialists for decryption. A special flight with representatives of the Turkish authorities and relatives of the victims of the disaster will arrive in Iran in the near future, the agency notes.

A private plane belonging to the Turkish investment holding Basaran was flying from Sharjah (UAE) to Istanbul and disappeared from radar screens on Sunday at 18:50 local time (18:20 Moscow time). It fell near the city of Shahre Kord, in a mountainous region in the southwest of the country, 400 km from Tehran. There were 11 people on board - eight passengers, including the 28-year-old daughter of the chairman of the board of directors of the company, Mina Basharan, as well as three crew members. They all died.

Türkiye

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu begins a visit to Russia on Tuesday, after which he will go to Kazakhstan for a meeting of Astana format foreign ministers on Syria.

“During the visit, he [Çavuşoğlu] will discuss preparations for the meeting of the Cooperation Council at the highest level, and will also take part in the tourism exhibition (Moscow International Exhibition MITT - TASS note),” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy previously said.

The main point of Çavuşoğlu’s program in Moscow will be negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday, March 14. According to Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, “during the upcoming negotiations [it is planned] to compare positions on key issues on the bilateral agenda, analyze the implementation of agreements reached between the presidents of the Russian Federation and Turkey,” and also consider the implementation of Akkuyu NPP projects. and the Turkish Stream gas pipeline.

The most important issue will obviously be the situation in Syria. In the north of the country, Turkish troops continue fighting against Kurdish forces in the Afrin region. An acute situation remains in Eastern Ghouta, where the Syrian military is fighting against terrorists in between the daily humanitarian pauses established on February 27 on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin and valid from 09:00 (10:00 Moscow time) to 14:00 (15 :00 Moscow time) local time.

On March 16, work on Syria will continue with the participation of Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Astana. The ministers will discuss coordinating the efforts of the countries that are guarantors of the Astana process to promote a settlement in the Arab country. The ministerial meeting will be preceded by a meeting of the joint working group and the first meeting of the working group on the release of detainees and hostages, the transfer of bodies of the dead and the search for missing persons.

The United States has sharply reduced the number of combat operations carried out from the Turkish Incirlik air base and is considering the possibility of reducing the number of personnel stationed there on a permanent basis. This was reported on Monday by The Wall Street Journal, citing American officials, who noted that the reason for the incident was the tense relations between the two countries.

In January, according to the newspaper, a squadron of A-10 attack aircraft was redeployed from the Incirlik base to Afghanistan. The number of families of American military personnel located on the base is gradually decreasing. Currently, Incirlik is home to American F-22 Raptor and F-15 Eagle fighter jets, as well as refueling aircraft. According to a US military official, the issue of reducing the use of the Turkish air base "has been under consideration for some time."

Tensions in relations between Ankara and Washington are due to the fact that Turkey is seriously concerned about the United States’ support for the Syrian Kurds from the People’s Defense Forces (SDF). Ankara has repeatedly stated that Washington is making a mistake by supplying weapons to these formations. She associates them with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which she classifies as a terrorist organization, and claims that American weapons received by the SNC could be directed against Turkey.

The Turkish authorities sent a note of protest to the German government in connection with the arson of a mosque building and a Turkish cultural center in Berlin.

This was reported on Monday by the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah with reference to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag.

“We call on the German government to be more attentive to the safety of Turkish citizens,” the politician said. He demanded that the criminals be brought to justice.

Türkiye may issue permission to Russia to import meat, but supplies in this case will be in small volumes. This was stated by the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey, Ahmet Esref Fakybaba, as reported by the Sozcu newspaper on Monday.

“Turkey does not have a serious need for meat, but sometimes it happens that for political reasons we are forced to import something from those countries to which we ourselves export some goods. However, even if there are such deliveries, they will be carried out not in large volumes, but in small ones,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev said in an interview with TASS that Turkey may “in the near future decide to admit Russian meat, dairy and fish products to its market.”

Tkachev added that Rosselkhoznadzor is constantly in touch with its Turkish colleagues on this issue and expressed hope that these Russian products will soon enter the Turkish market and will be “worthily appreciated by consumers.”

In general, according to Tkachev, cooperation between Russia and Turkey shows positive dynamics. At the end of 2017, trade turnover of agricultural products and food between countries increased by 21% compared to 2016 and reached about $2.8 billion.

The contract for the supply of S-400 systems to Turkey will begin to be implemented at the beginning of 2020, Vladimir Kozhin, assistant to the Russian President for military-technical cooperation, said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

“The Turkish side expressed a desire to speed up its implementation, here we found the best option, met halfway in order to speed up the implementation of the contract, the start of implementation is, I think, somewhere in the beginning of 2020,” Kozhin said.

EGYPT

As it became known, Egyptian soldiers and police officers conducting an anti-terrorist operation in the Sinai Peninsula have killed 105 terrorists to date, as stated by a representative of the Egyptian army in an interview with a correspondent of the Al-Ahram newspaper. According to him, the military carries out its duties “with high morale,” adding that no one has set a time frame for the operation, and, therefore, it will end only when it achieves its goals.

Air traffic between Moscow and Cairo may be resumed in the first or second decade of April. A source close to the negotiations reported this to TASS. According to him, earlier Sheremetyevo Security, Aeroflot and EgyptAir signed an agreement for the provision of services.

“On March 7, the companies Sheremetyevo-Security, Aeroflot and EgyptAir signed an agreement to provide security services at Cairo airport. A number of technical issues still need to be resolved. The resumption of air traffic is tentatively scheduled for the first or second decade of April,” he told TASS.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Transport reported that work to resume air traffic between Russia and Egypt is in an active phase. Sheremetyevo noted last week that if all contracts are signed, Sheremetyevo Security employees will work at Cairo airport.

Anna Zakharenkova, head of the public relations directorate at Sheremetyevo International Airport, told TASS that Sheremetyevo Security employees will supervise the inspection of hand luggage, baggage and cargo on Aeroflot and EgyptAir flights.

“As part of the implementation of the intergovernmental protocol regarding the resumption of air traffic between the Russian Federation and the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Air Transport Agency authorized employees of Sheremetyevo Security JSC to monitor aviation security at Cairo airport in relation to flights flying to the Russian Federation. In particular, we are talking about monitoring the performance of the functions of inspecting hand luggage, baggage and cargo, and loading aircraft of Aeroflot and EgyptAir airlines heading to the Russian Federation,” Zakharenkova said.

A TASS source close to Aeroflot airline confirmed this information: “On March 7, Aeroflot signed an agreement with Sheremetyevo Security (as a legal entity empowered by the Federal Air Transport Agency) to perform the functions of monitoring aviation security during ground handling at the airport. Cairo on airline flights flying to the Russian Federation."

From March 18, EgyptAir will begin operating regular flights to Cairo from the capital's Domodedovo Airport. The airport has already scheduled them.

Planes between Moscow and Cairo will fly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. On March 18, the flight from Cairo to Moscow is scheduled for 09:50 local time, and back at 15:50 Moscow time. Travel time is four hours.

“On March 15, mobile voting will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh, and on March 16, three polling stations will open at the Russian Embassy in Cairo and the Consulates General in Hurghada and Alexandria,” the diplomat noted. - They will work from 8:00 to 20:00 local time (09:00 - 21:00 Moscow time).

The Egyptian Cabinet of Ministers agreed on the allocation of a site for this project with an area of ​​approximately 520 hectares, the report notes. The investment is estimated at $7 billion. The industrial zone will be located east of the city of Port Said.

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade announced the approval of a draft agreement on the creation of a Russian industrial zone in the Suez Canal area. The document is expected to be signed on the sidelines of the 11th meeting of the joint commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation in April 2018.

By 2026, residents of the industrial zone will produce products worth $3.6 billion annually.

We remind you that Russia’s plans to create an industrial zone in Egypt to bring goods to the African market were reported in June 2017.

Italy's Eni is selling Mubadala Petroleum, a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, 10% of Egypt's Shorouk project, where the giant Zohr gas field is located. The transaction amount is $934 million, Eni said in a statement. To implement it, permission from the Egyptian authorities is required.

Currently, Eni, through its subsidiary IEOC, owns 60% of the shares, with another 30% owned by Rosneft and 10% by BP.

The Zohr gas field was discovered in 2015, launched in December 2017, and gas production began at the end of January of this year. Currently, production is 400 million cubic feet per day.

The Zohr gas field is the largest explored in the Mediterranean with reserves of 850 billion cubic meters. The area of ​​the deposit exceeds 230 square meters. km.

SAUDI ARABIA

US President Donald Trump will hold a meeting with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at his residence on March 20. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced this on Monday at a regular briefing for reporters.

“Trump intends to discuss ways to strengthen ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia and advance shared economic and security priorities,” she said, declining to provide more details about the upcoming meeting.

As the Axios information portal previously reported, citing sources in the US administration, Trump is scheduled to have a series of meetings in March and April with Arab leaders to try to resolve the diplomatic crisis around Qatar. According to them, the White House hopes that this will lead to reconciliation of the parties to this conflict in the spring at a summit of Arab leaders in Washington or Camp David (the president's country residence). Washington seeks to "reunite the Gulf countries and convince them to focus on countering Iran's malign behavior in the region," the sources stressed.

According to Axios, around March 27, the American leader is scheduled to meet with the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and about a week after that, with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to convey to the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, that domestic farmers are happy to supply beef to his country.

“I will definitely convey your applause and joy to the King of Saudi Arabia,” the head of state promised.

The United Arab Emirates will build a railway linking the country with Saudi Arabia by the end of 2021. Reuters reported this from Dubai with reference to representatives of the UAE Ministry of Transport.

Representatives of the governments of Great Britain and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of intent providing for negotiations on the purchase of 48 Typhoon fighter jets. TsAMTO reported this on Monday, March 12, citing the press service of BAE Systems.

According to Jane's Defense Weekly, the document was signed by the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and British Defense Minister Gavin Williamson during a meeting in London.

Information about the possibility of Saudi Arabia purchasing 48 additional Typhoon aircraft appeared several years ago, but Riyadh's involvement in the conflict in Yemen made it difficult to obtain permission for the sale. The sale price and delivery dates are not yet known.

In 2007, Saudi Arabia and the UK entered into an intergovernmental agreement worth £4.43 billion ($8.9 billion) under Project Salam for the supply of 72 Typhoon fighter jets, as well as the transfer of production technologies and investments in the defense industry sector kingdom and personnel training.

It was initially assumed that the first 24 aircraft would be assembled at the BAE Systems facility in Wharton, and the remaining ones would be assembled in Saudi Arabia at the facilities of Alsalam Aircraft Company, a joint venture between Boeing, Saudi Arabian Airlines and SAIC (Saudi Advanced Industries Company). But due to various problems, in 2012 the parties decided that all 72 aircraft would be produced in the UK, and the technology for their maintenance would be transferred to Saudi Arabia.

During 2009–2011, the Saudi Arabian Air Force received the first 24 Typhoons. At the end of March 2012, BAE Systems and the Saudi Arabian military department reached an agreement to assemble the remaining 48 Typhoon aircraft at the Wharton facility. Negotiations to change contractual obligations led to an 18-month delay in deliveries, which only resumed in February 2013. Delivery of all 72 aircraft was completed in June 2017.

EF2000 "Typhoon" is a fourth generation fighter. The areas and elements of its design that are leading in reflectivity are covered with radio-absorbing materials designed to reduce the radar signature of the aircraft. Armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, as well as guided bombs.

The IPO of Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company, Saudi Arabian Oil Co., is likely to happen in 2019. Many investors believed that the Saudis would sell their securities at a high price this year, and the new benchmark would lead to a revaluation of Russian shares. Now the IPO has been postponed for a year, and it is not a fact that it will take place at all, says Alexander Razuvaev, director of the analytical department of Alpari.

In the province of Deir ez-Zor, west and south of the city of Mayadin, 45 km from the administrative center, the army fought fierce battles against Daesh terrorists, as a result of destroying and wounding many of them and destroying their fortifications.

The areas of Al-Matar Al-Mahjur, Makef Al-Ghanam, the industrial zone and several neighborhoods on the western outskirts of Mayadin were taken under control.

The army unit managed to prevent a militant attack with two car bombs, eliminating more than 10 attackers.

In the north of Deir ez-Zor province, during heavy fighting with armed groups east of the Euphrates River in the Hatla-Khsham direction, military personnel caused serious losses to the militants in manpower and equipment.

Artillery and aviation actively participated in supporting ground forces, striking the routes of movement and positions of Daesh in the settlements of Makhkan, Al-Bulel, Al-Buomar, Al-Ashara, Al-Kuriya, Al-Husseiniya, Al-Salkhiya, Al-Jenena . Dozens of militants were neutralized, killed and wounded, and their shelters were destroyed.

Local sources report that panic is growing among the groups; Dozens of terrorists left their positions and fled from the settlements of Mukhasan and Al-Ashara.

SANA Agency

Summary of events in Syria for October 9, 2017

The Turkish Armed Forces have begun operations in Syrian Idlib.

“On October 8, the Turkish armed forces began reconnaissance work to establish observation posts as part of an operation to be carried out in Idlib province,” the statement said.

This step is in line with the rules of engagement agreed upon as part of the Astana process.

The United States supports Turkey's efforts to combat terrorism, as well as steps to protect state borders. This was stated by a representative of the American defense department, Eric Pahon, commenting on Ankara’s decision to launch a military operation in the Syrian province of Idlib, Russian Dialogue reports.

A Pentagon representative noted that the north-west of the Syrian Arab Republic has become a stronghold for al-Qaeda terrorists (banned in the Russian Federation), whose actions pose a danger to the entire region.

The American side emphasized that it does not intend to change its position regarding the Jabhat al-Nusra group (banned in the Russian Federation) - Washington considers the organization the Syrian wing of al-Qaeda and recognizes it as terrorist.

The Syrian army again accuses the United States of supplying weapons to terrorists, RIA Novosti reports. As the head of the main operational department of the Syrian army, General Ali Al-Ali, said during a demonstration of weapons seized from militants, between June 5 and September 15, Washington delivered 1,421 trucks with military equipment and weapons to the militants.

Demonstrating weapons seized from militants, Al-Ali said that they were intended to fight terrorists, but eventually fell into the hands of IS militants and Jabhat al-Nusra (terrorist organizations banned in Russia).

According to the general, radicals in Syria are getting weapons that are purchased by the American defense companies Chemring and Orbital ATK under the Pentagon’s state program to assist US allies.

As Al-Ali explained, these weapons are delivered to the Middle East by sea. It enters Syria through sections of the border that the Syrian army does not control.

Ali Al-Ali also noted that in Eastern Ghouta and in the eastern neighborhoods of Damascus there is irrefutable evidence that terrorists are using foreign weapons and ammunition.

The general emphasized that fragments of foreign-made ammunition with serial numbers were found. Militants regularly fire at residential areas of Damascus and its suburbs with this ammunition.

It is noted that during demining of the Sakhur-2 quarter in the eastern regions of Aleppo, the military discovered and neutralized 193 ammunition, including grenades for the M203 grenade launcher and 60-mm mines made in the United States.

The Syrian military has repeatedly stated that some of the weapons that the United States transfers to the opposition end up in the hands of militants. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in August that toxic substances found in warehouses abandoned by militants were delivered to terrorists from the United States and Great Britain.

Investigation: how did the international coalition provide weapons to terrorists in Syria?

The Pentagon denied information that the United States supplies weapons to militants of the Islamic State (IS, an organization banned in the Russian Federation) and other radical groups, and not to the so-called moderate opposition. The statement of the Syrian Ministry of Defense to a TASS correspondent was commented on by the official representative of the American defense department, Eric Pahon.

“Without a doubt, these statements are ridiculous and untrue,” he said.

Pahon argues that such information “represents a propaganda campaign by Russia and the regime to discredit the United States and the coalition’s successful fight against ISIS in Syria.” According to a representative of the Ministry of Defense, the US Armed Forces “carry out their missions in Syria on the basis of the fight against terrorism.” “They will continue to advise and assist partners as long as IS” remains a threat, Pahon concluded.

“The video shows Roman Zabolotny trying to have a conversation with the militant, saying that he has information about weapons. Grigory Turcanu sits with his back to the cabin, blindfolded. Roman also says that they went to headquarters with information, they were not in Deir ez-Zor,” the Conflict Intelligence Team notes.

As part of the implementation of the Memorandum on the creation of de-escalation zones in the Syrian Arab Republic, control groups continued to monitor compliance with the ceasefire.

The situation in the de-escalation zones is assessed as stable.

The Russian part of the representative office recorded 8 cases of shooting in the provinces: Aleppo - 3, Homs - 3, Damascus - 1, Daraa - 1.

The Turkish part of the mission recorded 1 violation in the province of Damascus.

During the day, the Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in the SAR carried out one medical humanitarian action in the Mugamba military hospital in Aleppo, and provided assistance to 71 servicemen of the SAR Armed Forces.

In total, 1640 humanitarian actions were carried out, the total weight of delivered humanitarian cargo was 2221.3 tons.

Medical assistance was provided to 126 residents within 24 hours.

In total, medical assistance was provided to 59,055 residents.

During the day, 4 agreements on joining the cessation of hostilities were signed.

The number of localities that joined the reconciliation process increased to 2,248.

The number of armed formations that have declared their commitment to accepting and implementing the conditions for the cessation of hostilities has not changed - 234.

The heads of the foreign affairs departments of Russia and the United States, Sergei Lavrov and Rex Tillerson, held telephone conversations, during which they discussed the progress of implementation of the Minsk agreements, as well as the functioning of the de-escalation zones created in Syria, the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

During the conversation, the Russian Foreign Minister pointed out the need to strictly adhere to the principle of the territorial integrity of Syria when fighting terrorist groups in the country.

Idlib. Long-range artillery of the Turkish Armed Forces from Hatay province is shelling the positions of Islamist militants in Syrian Idlib, where one of the de-escalation zones in Syria should be created. The artillery strikes, which began on Sunday, October 8, are carried out to support the ground operation in Idlib of the pro-Turkish Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants, the Associated Press reports.

Militants of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) recaptured the city of Armanaz in the north of the province from the Ahrar al-Sham group.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham also called on the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) group to support the offensive.

The Ansar al-Furqan group declared war on Turkey and the FSA.

Pro-government aircraft attacked militants in the city of Khan Sheikhoun.

Hama. Militants of the Ahrar Al-Sham group fired 40 Grad MLRS rockets towards the Hama air base in retaliation for attacks by the Syrian Air Force in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo.

The rockets fell on farms before reaching the airbase, government sources said.

A large group of IS militants broke out of the pocket, information about the complete clearing of which was premature, and, passing through the SAA positions, attacked the HTS militants, capturing the settlements: Abu Lafa, Al-Jumlan, Yub- Al Tabqali, Shakushiya, Hasrat, Rasm Al-Ahmar, Sarha, Wadi Zarub, Sarha Shamaliya, Al Mostari (Al Mostariha), Murjajib Um Al-Fawr (Murjajib Um Al-Fawr), Nafila (Nafila), located in the eastern part of the province. The HTS missile base was also captured.

HTS militants blamed Russia and Assad for the incident, who allowed IS militants to pass through SAA positions to attack HTS.

In the village of Abu Daleh, ISIS robbed the houses and shops of local residents, some of whom were kidnapped by jihadists.

Video of militants from Abu Dali.

Damascus. Jordan has officially announced that the Nisib border crossing will begin operations in early 2018.

Quneitra. The 42nd brigade of the 4th mechanized division of the SAA was withdrawn from the eastern suburb of Damascus - Jobar and deployed in the Golan Heights region.

Hasaka. Video. Residents of the village of Tal Jazira described the horror of life in the so-called Islamic State.

Deir ez-Zor. There are battles to the west and south of the city of Al-Mayadeen. Government forces have taken control of the areas of Al-Matar Al-Mahjur, Makef Al-Ghanam, the industrial zone and several blocks on the western outskirts of the city, SANA reports.

The 4th Mechanized Division and the 5th Legion of the SAA liberated the city of Hatla Al-Sharqiyah, located near the Al-Umar oil fields.

The Syrian army reached the Siyasiyah bridge.

Government troops resumed offensive operations along the Sukhna-Deir ez-Zor highway, attacking IS militants near the village. Al-Shoulah.

Video: sappers working to clear car mines.

A number of sources report that IS militants are moving heavy weapons and tanks from the line of contact with the SDF towards the front with the Syrian army.

The SDF took the village. Zughayr Kabira, Huwayj Diyab, Abu Ghaminah and Muhaymidah.

Coalition aircraft near the city of Abu Kamal destroyed an IS tactical unit and vehicle.

A day earlier: an IS tactical unit and vehicle were destroyed near the city of Abu Kamal; The IS command post was destroyed near the city of Deir ez-Zor.

Raqqa. US Special Representative for the Anti-ISIS Coalition Brett McGurk said on Twitter that the battle for Raqqa is entering its final phase. Coalition airstrikes over the past 48 hours are setting the stage for an SDF offensive against remaining IS strongholds.

A possible deal between ISIS and the SDF is being discussed on social networks regarding the surrender of the city of Raqqa and the movement of the remaining ISIS members to the fronts with Government forces. According to sources, negotiations on the safe exit of IS militants from Raqqa are taking place through the mediation of tribal leaders.

Coalition aircraft near Raqqa destroyed two tactical units, 15 combat positions, 11 vehicles, an IED vehicle, a machine gun and four IS command posts.

A day earlier, four tactical units, 50 combat positions, a tactical vehicle, six vehicles, IEDs and four IS command posts were destroyed in Raqqa.

Terrorists who attacked the Russian military police in Syria used US weapons

The Syrian army demonstrated weapons captured from Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists who attacked the Russian military police on September 18. It turned out that the militants used weapons made in the USA, Belgium and France. According to the Syrian Ministry of Defense, Washington supplies weapons to radical groups, and not to the Syrian opposition.

The militants of the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra, who attacked a platoon of Russian military police in Syria, were carrying weapons of American, Belgian and French production. This was announced by SAR army soldier Walid Khalil during a demonstration of weapons seized from terrorists.

“You see here weapons seized during an operation by security forces against the terrorist group Jabhat al-Nusra in southern Idlib. These weapons were supplied to these terrorist groups. The weapons here are made in the USA, Belgium and France,” Khalil said.

In particular, according to him, among the weapons seized by the militants were American-made M-16 sniper rifles.

Let us recall that on September 18, in Hama, in the Idlib de-escalation zone, Jabhat al-Nusra militants surrounded a platoon of Russian military police, which repelled terrorist attacks for several hours before the arrival of a special relief squad.

Russian troops organized a counteroffensive and managed to break through the encirclement, after which they reached the area where government troops were located.

US military in Syria Reuters Rodi Said

The head of the main operational department of the SAR army, divisional general Ali Al-Ali, in turn, reported the presence of “irrefutable evidence” that terrorists are using foreign weapons.

“Fragments of foreign-made ammunition with serial numbers were photographed. Militants regularly fire at residential areas of Damascus and its suburbs with this ammunition,” RIA Novosti quotes the general.

He said that during the demining of the Sakhur-2 neighborhood in the eastern districts of Aleppo, 193 ammunition was discovered and neutralized, including grenades for the M203 grenade launcher and 60-mm mines for American-made mortars.

1421 trucks with weapons

As Al-Ali noted, the United States does not supply weapons to the Syrian opposition, but to the militants of the Islamic State* and other radical groups.

“We know that the United States delivered 1,421 trucks with military equipment and weapons to terrorists in Syria from June 5 to September 15 of this year. These weapons were supposedly intended to fight terrorists, but ultimately fell into the hands of IS and Jabhat al-Nusra militants, he said.
In May, a representative of the American military department stated that these weapons were intended for the Kurds from the Syrian Democratic Forces, who with their help were supposed to liberate the city of Raqqa from the Islamic State, Al-Ali added.

According to the Syrian military, most of the weapons that get to terrorists in this way are purchased under the Pentagon’s state program to assist US allies.

As the general noted, weapons are transported to the Middle East by sea, and then they enter Syria through sections of the border controlled by radical forces.

"Black hole"

On October 6, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said that the military base in al-Tanf, illegally located on the Jordanian-Syrian border, has become a “black hole” through which militants of the Islamic State terrorist group make attacks.

“Al-Tanf has turned into a 100-kilometer “black hole” on the Syrian-Jordanian state border. And instead of the New Syrian Army, like jack-in-the-box, mobile IS groups are carrying out sabotage and terrorist attacks against Syrian troops and civilians from there,” explained the major general.
According to Konashenkov, the complete defeat of the Islamic State in Syria is hampered by the support of the group from the United States. “We have repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that the main obstacle to completing the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria is not the combat capability of terrorists, but the support and flirting with them of their American colleagues,” he said.

An official representative of the Ministry of Defense noted that the successes of the Syrian army with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces, apparently, run counter to the plans of the Americans. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously stated, it is possible that the United States may have other goals in Syria, in addition to the destruction of terrorists .

“As for the different goals (of the United States in Syria - RT), this is certainly true. And when IS is defeated—and Jabhat al-Nusra along with it—then, in general, it will become clear who has what goals in Syria,” Lavrov noted.

US special forces equipment in IS positions

According to the department, US special forces units ensure the unhindered advance of Washington-controlled Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“Without encountering resistance from ISIS militants, SDF units are advancing along the left bank of the Euphrates River in the direction of the city of Deir ez-Zor. “With the help of aerial photographs taken between September 8 and September 12, 2017, in areas where ISIS armed formations are deployed, a large number of American Hummer-type armored vehicles in service with US special forces were recorded,” the Ministry of Defense noted.

At the same time, around these objects there are no traces of an assault, clashes with terrorists, or craters from international coalition air strikes.

According to the department, this can only mean that “all US military personnel located there feel completely safe in areas held by terrorists.”

“The Americans are behaving like occupiers”

In August, a story appeared on the Russia 24 TV channel, which states that a former fighter of a pro-American illegal armed group, the head of the security service of the Syrian sector of the al-Tanf base, Assad Asalm, went over to the side of the Syrian government forces and spoke about US cooperation with the Islamic State.

According to him, some militants sold weapons to terrorists, and the US military did not react to this.

“When we became aware of the fact that the commander of our detachment was selling weapons to ISIS terrorists, we reported this to the American leadership of the base, but after our report no measures were taken, they only

poured support for the man who was appointed our commander and did business with IS,” he said. Asalm added that the man sold American-made small arms to the terrorists: M16 and M4 rifles, machine guns and ammunition.

According to him, the Americans are only interested in implementing their own plans.

“For example, you can take the Rubkan refugee camp. There are no normal living conditions there: there is no place for children to study, there is no medical care. The Americans are behaving like occupiers,” Asalm concluded.

___________________________________________________
* “Jabhat al-Nusra”, “Islamic State” (IS, ISIS) are terrorist groups banned in Russia.

LIGHTNING: ISIS publishes new footage of captured Russian volunteers in Syria (VIDEO)

The news is being updated

New footage has emerged showing the first moment of the capture of two Russian volunteers captured by ISIS gangs in the area of ​​al-Shula in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor.

The filming was taken by militants immediately after the capture of Roman Zabolotny and Grigory Turcanu; in the footage, terrorists interrogate them to establish their identities.

“Rus?” — the bandit asks in the footage.

“Russian,” answers Zabolotny.

“I don’t understand, speak English,” he says.

“We were not in Deir ez-Zor, we were going with information to the headquarters,” Roman answers the Arab’s question.

The third prisoner clearly does not look like a Russian in appearance. The militant calls him a “Hazar,” meaning an Iranian, a Persian, possibly a Hezbollah fighter or a Palestinian from Liwa Al-Quds.

As previously reported "Russian Spring" during a counter-offensive by gangs in the area of ​​the village of Al-Shula (Shula) in the province of Deir ez-Zor more than a week ago.

Roman Zaboltny is a Cossack from the Rostov region, and Grigory Turkanu.

Both fighters are volunteers who fought on the side of pro-government armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic.

* Terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation.

Zabolotniy and Tsurkanu after captivity

They posted a video of Zabolotny and Tsurkana captured near Shola shortly after their capture.

Problems in Hama

The SAA has had significant problems in Northern Hama over the last couple of days. While almost all strike units are busy with operations in Eastern Syria (Deir ez-Zor, a bridgehead on the other side of the river, Mayadin, Sukhna), Al-Nusra is pinching the SAA front in Hama. Over the past 48 hours, militants have wrested several small villages from the Syrians, significantly displacing government units, which suffered serious losses in people (killed, wounded and prisoners) and equipment (several lost armored vehicles and a pack of carts).
What is happening once again reminds us that the number of high-quality formations of the SAA and its allies is limited, which opponents periodically take advantage of, biting where the front is held by second-rate units that cannot withstand clashes with strike formations of Al-Nusra or ISIS. This does not change the situation on the front in Northern Hama, where villages are constantly changing hands, but in any case, such a development of events reminds us of the old problem with Assad’s lack of good infantry, which even at the current stage of the war can lead to unpleasant consequences.

The Russian Aerospace Forces and SAA artillery continued shelling the militants’ fortified area in the El-Latamine area. Possible problems in the northeast of Hama could force both the withdrawal of troops from the front around the El-Latama salient and the transfer of additional forces from East Hama and East Homs as the remnants of the Akerbat pocket are cleared. Of course, they would be useful in the Eastern regions of the country, but with the growing problems in Northern Hama, it is traditionally necessary to find reserves to support the front against Al-Nusra. Indirectly, the situation may be affected by the invasion of Turkish troops into Idlib, which will weaken the positions of Al-Nusra, but the Turks are acting extremely slowly.

Here and below, Nusra's advance in northeast Hama.

Bombing of El Latamine

Fighting in Eastern Hama.

In general, the picture is familiar to Hama, and in 2 years of war it has not yet been completely resolved.

PS. For the rest:

1. Al-Qaryatein is still pro-ISIS. The fighting is taking place on the near approaches to the city, to which the SAA continues to pull up manpower and artillery for cleansing.
2. Today, the Syrians once again reported that the Sukhna-Deir ez-Zor road is completely under control, but taking into account the ongoing battles and clashes in the area of ​​the route north and east of Sukhna, I think these reports are somewhat optimistic.
3. Despite the rumors that ISIS has left Mayadin and the city is being cleaned up, in fact, fighting is taking place on the outskirts of the city, which is still under the militants. The army simultaneously continues to bypass Mayadin from the south, creating, among other things, the preconditions for a subsequent push along the Euphrates to Abu Kemal, as well as for crossing the Euphrates closer to the oil fields of Deir ez-Zor.
4. In Deraa, Eastern Ghouta and T-2 - no significant changes.

Plus about the ISIS group that infiltrated Northern Hama from the Akerbat pocket.

Having “mysteriously” infiltrated through the territories controlled by the Syrian army, a detachment of Islamic State militants appeared in the eastern part of Hama province and attacked the positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the village of Rahjan. Half an hour later the village was already captured. HTS sources explain this by saying that it was defended only by old and wounded fighters, but it is obvious that the surprise of the attack played a key role.
The Islamic State squad consists of three tanks, one infantry fighting vehicle, 20 Toyotas with heavy machine guns, a 57 mm gun and a number of infantrymen. However, in the messages of Russian-speaking activists of “HTS”, Toyotas for some reason became 30 - this cannot be attributed to translation difficulties, because In the group’s original message, it was the figure of 20 vehicles that appeared.
After the capture of Rahjan, HTS activists hastened to declare that the village was surrounded by superior forces and negotiations were underway on the surrender of IS fighters. However, this information was quickly refuted by a statement from the Amaq agency, which indicated that this attack was considered part of the “operation named after Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Adnani,” and also that, in addition to Rahjan, Islamic State militants occupied a number of villages in that area, and namely: Hisarat, Rasm al-Ahmar, Sarha, Sarha Shamaliyya, al-Mustariha, Umm al-Fur, Wadi al-Zurub, Jabba al-Tabliqiyya, Abu Lafa, al-Nigila, Marjib, al-Jumlian and al-Shaqusiyya.
The surprise of the attack and the absence of serious HTS forces in the area, which are currently attacking Syrian army positions in the vicinity of Abu Dali (northern Hama province) or working as guards for negotiators from the Turkish army, played on the side of the Islamic State militants.

Türkiye may cancel the purchase of the S-400 if the Russian Federation refuses joint production

Ankara has not received an official refusal from Moscow on its proposal for joint production of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and is counting on technology transfer, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

“We have not received negative official notifications in this regard. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin himself told us that we can take general steps for joint production. And if the Russians do not view this possibility positively, then we will conclude an agreement with another country,” Cavusoglu said in an interview with Akşam newspaper.

"We urgently need to buy them [S-400s] because there is a need for them. We need to protect our airspace. However, if countries opposed to Russia do not want Turkey to buy S-400s from it, then they should provide us your own option,” Cavusoglu emphasized.

On September 12, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara had signed an agreement with Moscow on the acquisition of S-400 systems, and the deposit had already been paid. Assistant to the Russian President for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin confirmed that Russia and Turkey have signed a contract for the supply of S-400, which is being prepared for execution. Later, Deputy Head of the Turkish Defense Industry Secretariat Ismail Demir stated that deliveries of S-400 systems to Turkey will begin within two years, reports.

IMPORTANT: Türkiye has launched a military operation in Syria

The Turkish Armed Forces have begun operations in Syrian Idlib, reconnaissance is underway to establish observation posts to monitor the truce, according to a message from the country’s General Staff received by RIA Novosti on Monday.

“In accordance with the agreements reached in Astana on the creation of a de-escalation zone in the Idlib region, the Turkish Armed Forces, as one of the guarantor countries, began an reconnaissance operation on October 8 to establish observation posts to monitor the truce,” the document says.

As reported "Russian Spring",

The announcement was made by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Sunday.

And Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the day before that the Turkish army is ready to join the operation in Syrian Idlib launched by the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Türkiye suspends issuing visas to US citizens

The Turkish Embassy in the United States has suspended the issuance of non-immigrant visas to US citizens in response to the US actions.

Reuters reports this.

“Recent events have caused the Turkish government to reconsider the US government's commitment to the security of the Turkish mission and personnel,” the Turkish Embassy in the US said in a statement.

Previously, the US Embassy suspended the issuance of visas to Turkish citizens after... He was accused of having connections with the odious preacher Gulen, who was accused of attempting a coup and seizing power in July 2016.

The militants of the Jabhat al-Nusra group* who attacked the Russian military police observation post in Hama on September 18 used weapons made in the USA, Belgium and France, Syrian army soldier Walid Khali told reporters.

“Today we are displaying weapons seized from militants several weeks ago. It was supplied to terrorists illegally from abroad. There are more than 100 small arms and hand grenade launchers made in the USA, Belgium and France,” Walid Khali said during a demonstration of weapons seized from militants.

In a number of cases, terrorists independently modified production samples. In particular, American M-16 rifles with homemade mountings for an optical sight became trophies of the Syrian military.

As the head of the main operational department of the Syrian army, General Ali Al-Ali, said, irrefutable evidence was collected in Eastern Ghouta and the eastern neighborhoods of Damascus that terrorists are using foreign weapons and ammunition.

“Fragments of foreign-made ammunition with serial numbers were photographed. Militants regularly use these ammunition to fire at residential areas of Damascus and its suburbs,” Al-Ali noted.

According to him, during demining of the Sakhur-2 quarter in the eastern regions of Aleppo, the military found and neutralized 193 ammunition, among them grenades for the M203 grenade launcher and 60-mm mines of American production.

Al-Ali said that terrorists are getting weapons purchased through a Pentagon program to help American allies. It is delivered to the Middle East by sea and transported to Syria through sections of the border that are not controlled by government forces.

Damascus has repeatedly emphasized that some of the weapons that Washington transfers to the Syrian opposition end up in the hands of terrorists. In August, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that toxic substances found in warehouses abandoned by militants were delivered to terrorists from the United States and Great Britain.

According to the American side, this is a response to the arrest by Istanbul police of US Embassy employee Metin Topuz on charges of espionage and attempting to overthrow the government.

As a result, the exchange rate fell by 4%, which was the strongest drop since the summer of 2016, when the coup attempt took place.

Türkiye responded in a mirror manner to the US actions by ordering a halt to the issuance of non-immigrant visas at Turkish consular offices on American soil.

The lira has fallen for seven trading sessions in a row, mainly due to the Federal Reserve's tightening monetary policy and the outflow of funds from emerging markets. But it was political tensions that sent the lira to a record low.