"Foreign Policy"Who is the biggest loser: Russia in Syria or the United States in Afghanistan?

2024/12/17 9:51:53 PM

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"Foreign Policy"Who is the biggest loser: Russia in Syria or the United States in Afghanistan?

Foreign Policy magazine highlighted The American newspaper shed light on the recent events that Syria witnessed during the past few days following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the latter’s departure to Moscow, wondering about the volume of weapons and military equipment that Russia left in the military bases in Syria, considering that there are similarities in the size of losses for Russia as a result of The rapid collapse of Syria, and the extent of the losses for the United States as a result of the collapse of Afghanistan and the Taliban’s control of power there three years ago.

The American magazine said – in the context of an analytical article entitled “Who lost more weapons… Russia in Syria or the United States?” United In Afghanistan?" “The recent developments in Syria, starting with the Syrian opposition factions’ seizure of the capital, Damascus, without bloodshed, and then Bashar al-Assad’s departure to Russia, which was surprised by the accelerating pace of events, which prompted it to negotiate the evacuation of its forces from Syria, brings to mind the collapse of the situation.” In Afghanistan years ago, following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban forces in August 2021, at the height of a military attack that began in May of the same year against the government. “.

She added: “In both cases, the disintegration of government forces in both Syria and Afghanistan was a surprise to both Moscow regarding Damascus, and Washington regarding Kabul,” pointing out There is no specific information regarding the size of Assad’s weapons arsenal, which consists mostly of Soviet and Russian-made weapons, which were seized by opposition factions in Syria last week, or what remained of it following Israeli air strikes. Which targeted the Syrian army’s weapons and ammunition stores, including warships and combat aircraft.

The magazine saw that what complicates matters in Syria is that Russian forces and mercenaries have left behind weapons. Additionally, in the midst of their rapid withdrawal from their forward positions outside the main Russian bases in Tartous and Latakia, where a more organized evacuation of Russian soldiers and equipment is now taking place, she pointed out that Russia and America left behind “a treasure.” Precious" of weapons and ammunition in both Syria and Afghanistan, but she wondered about the amount of military equipment that Moscow and Washington left behind in both Syria and Afghanistan.

Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows During the period from 1950 to 1991, Soviet weapons constituted about 94 percent of Syria’s total imports from Weapons.

According to the magazine, Syria lost large quantities of weapons and equipment during the wars of 1967 and 1973. However, during the period from 1975 to 1991, the Soviets re-equipped the Syrian President’s forces Former Hafez al-Assad. The Soviet Union sent to Syria at that time 20 bombers, 250 fighter planes, 117 helicopters, and 756 self-propelled guns. And 2,400 infantry combat vehicles, 2,550 tanks, at least 7,500 anti-tank missiles, and more than 13,000 “surface-to-air” missiles.

It brought to mind that at the beginning of the civil war Syrian In 2011, the Syrian Air Force had about 700 drones, about 5,000 tanks, and 4,000 armored vehicles. And 3,400 artillery pieces, 2,600 anti-tank weapons, and 600 reconnaissance vehicles, explaining that many of these weapons were destroyed during the intense fighting against rebel strongholds, and later against the “ISIS” organization.

Western researchers used photographic and video evidence, from open sources, to confirm that the Syrian Arab Army lost at least 3,380 tanks. And armored vehicles between 2011 and 2020, but Russia supplied the Syrian army with dozens of aircraft and combat helicopters, hundreds of tanks and tactical missiles, and thousands of anti-tank missiles and air defense systems during the conflict. However, it is clear that despite this amount of armament, it was not enough to ensure the survival of the regime. Assad.

Oryx, an open source conflict monitor, documented Syrian opposition factions seized Syrian regime equipment during their rapid attack last week, which included at least 150 tanks, more than 75 artillery pieces, 69 infantry combat vehicles, 64 multiple rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns.

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According to the report, it is not clear how many tanks and armored vehicles the Assad regime left behind, but it is likely that it was thousands of vehicles. The armored vehicle and various-range missiles are in the hands of the Syrian opposition factions now or soon. However, the weapons likely to fall into the hands of the opposition factions may have been destroyed as a result of the Israeli army’s bombing of about 500 targets in Syria, as Israel claimed to have destroyed 70 to 80 percent of The military capabilities of the Assad regime.

According to the Israeli army, its strikes destroyed most of the Assad regime’s stockpiles of missiles and weapons. Other strategic missiles, including Scud, cruise, and surface-to-air missiles, drones, fighter jets, attack helicopters, and tanks, as well as the destruction of dozens of long-range anti-ship missiles and warships as a result of Israeli strikes that targeted the port of Al-Bayda and Latakia. The army also targeted The Israeli-Syrian military airports and many military factories.

The magazine also indicated that Russian weapons were stolen by supported groups. From Iran.. Reportedly, systems such as Kornet anti-tank missiles arrived in Lebanon via Syria, noting that Russia officially announced the withdrawal of part of its military forces in Syria, including aircraft and naval ships, and it appears that it has partially evacuated its bases there, however, It has not yet completely withdrawn from the country, and it may still be possible for Moscow to renegotiate keeping its bases in Latakia and Tartous.

In comparison to the US Army’s losses during With its withdrawal from Afghanistan, US government oversight agencies revealed that the Taliban seized more than seven billion dollars in American equipment after the fall of the Western-backed Afghan government three years ago.

A report issued by the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) in August 2022 concluded that the US military left behind military vehicles worth $4.12 billion and military aircraft worth $923.3 million in Afghanistan. After the American withdrawal. She has repaired a number of them since taking power.

Much of the American weapons in Afghanistan were too expensive to return to America, as well as lacking To the value and military technology sufficient to make this effort worthwhile, as it would have been cheaper to destroy American vehicles or leave them to the Afghan security forces.

The magazine concluded its article by noting that the preliminary numbers Comparing the amount of military equipment left in Afghanistan and Syria hides a big difference between the two missing military arsenals (American and Russian), and the Russians can use these weapons today, while the United States left only a little of its best equipment behind. Afghanistan.