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That Time Russian PMCs Got Dominated by an American AC-130 in Syria
Published 2 years ago
The US Military has released video clips showing defensive strikes against the pro-Syrian government Russian mercenaries that attacked an SDF headquarters where American advisors were stationed.
The following video shows two strikes that took place between 7 February and 8 February back in 2018 near Der Ezor, Syria. One of the clips shows a T-72 tank get destroyed by a precision US airstrike just seconds after it fires its main gun at American and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions.
The second clip shows the targeting and destruction of an artillery piece being manned by multiple personnel. Judging from the video, one of the artilleryman hears the jet or munition inbound and makes a futile attempt to escape. Yet, just before the clip ends, an individual can be seen running from the blast area.
Initial reports from the US claimed that around 100 enemy personnel were believed to be killed and at least some of them were Russian advisors. Now, as the dust has settled, further reports suggest that as many as 200 fighters were killed, and “dozens” of them were Russians.
The Russian government claimed that the failed offensive operation was not known to them at the time, and that the PMCs were operating independently. However, it is very unlikely that such a large force of Russian troops would be off the radar of the Kremlin while conducting offensive operations against US forces. In contrast, it is more likely that their orders and approval came straight from the top.
