On Sunday, Russian state VGTRK TV channel released a video that had somewhat lifted a veil of secrecy over Russian Ministry of Defense's Special Operation Forces (SOF) and their role in Syrian war. The reportage is focused on a commander of a SOF unit regularly operating in Syria, Colonel Vadim, whose first name might well be fictitious, while his last name is not disclosed at all. Speaking to a VGTRK correspondent, the commander reveals some details about SOF's mission in Syria. Based on his words, the primary objectives of the operations carried out by his unit in this Middle Eastern country can be summarized as follows: Providing the Russian Air Force with target designation which allows fighter jets and attack helicopters to carry out precise airstrikes on positions and movements of various jihadists groups; Carrying out special operations in the enemy's rear, that include intelligence data collection and liquidation of jihadist field commanders; Destroying fortified po...
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