Think about it, A Van?
There was no warning given to the Russians about the strikes on the targets. The Russians are claiming that there was repelled strikes on a number of airfields. Do you really think that the US would risk having Russian forces based at those airfields being caught up and suffering casualties? The whole aim of the strikes on carefully selected targets was to prevent such casualties and allow for no prior warning.
One of those airfields with a claimed successfully repelled attack was Shayrat. The same airfield that was targetted by the US during April 2017. The Russians were warned before hand of the 2017 strike and I believe they were given a 90 minute warning. In addition to the warning the Hardened Aircraft Shelters and the surrounding areas where the Russian helicopter fleet was located was untargeted.
The same goes for those other claimed airfields. Without a warning think of the risk of Russian forces being caught up? Think of the consequences of such a situation? It would have played straight into Putin's hands and the risk of escalation and retaliaton.
The Russians did the same with the 2017 TLAM strike on Shayrat. For propaganda purposes they briefed that only 23 TLAMs out of 59 had hit Shayrat.
Can you not see that the Russian Ministry of Defence have to create these fabrications and that if you believe them you are being played? They did the same during Soviet times for the 1986 raid on Libya. It is just embarrassing for these Russian top brass to be made to go out and spin the spin.
Even in the face of the post strike satellite imagery and analysis of the 2017 Shayrat strike the Russians still stuck with the 23 hits only.
Satellite imagery and analysis at following link.
ISI first to analyze Shayrat airfield missile attack - ISI
A Van wrote
BTW, it was written today in a Russian media that two US missiles were found more or less as whole pieces on the Syrian territory after the attack. They were transported to Russia and are now being examined by experts.
Yes it is possible that some missiles malfunctioned. Just the same as some of the Russian cruise missiles that crashed relatively intact in both Iran and Syria. What you have to factor in with these claims is that it is just a fabricated story. Think of the propaganda value of a Ministry of Defence enhanced briefing showing these missiles with all the details?
What I think has happened here is that some of the Russian media have got hold of the following image and the spin continues.
These are actually two Soviet era R-40 AA-6 Acrid. No fins on them and still with the protective caps. Likely abandoned on one of the Syrian airfields.
