Russia Accuses Ukraine of Arming Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

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On Tuesday, Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Ukraine of providing military support to fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the faction that, along with its allies, is conducting an offensive against Syrian forces in northwest Syria. Sources have reported that Syrian opposition forces reached the outskirts of Hama before retreating in the face of a counteroffensive from the Syrian army and its allies.

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In a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the escalation in Syria, Nebenzia said: “We would like to draw attention, especially to the identifiable traces indicating the involvement of the main Ukrainian intelligence agency in organizing hostilities and supplying fighters with weapons in northwest Syria.”

He added, “We note the identification of Ukrainian military trainers who were training Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters in combat operations.”

The Russian Ambassador emphasized that “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters do not hide the fact that they are supported by Ukraine; they even boast about it,” accusing Kiev of providing them with drones in particular.

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He explained: “The cooperation between Ukrainian and Syrian terrorists, driven by hatred of Syria and Russia, continues to recruit fighters for the Ukrainian armed forces and to organize attacks against Russian and Syrian forces in Syria.”

Syria has seen a resurgence of violence in the past week after four years of relative calm, with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and allied factions taking control of government-held territories in the northern part of the country.

Since November 27, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra before severing its ties with Al-Qaeda) and allied opposition groups have launched a surprise offensive in northwest Syria called “Deterring Aggression.” These forces have taken control of dozens of towns and a large part of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, and continue to advance southward.

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Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria in 2015 to support President Bashar al-Assad, is one of Damascus’ main allies.

The Russian Ambassador also expressed “regret” that UN officials “lacked the courage to call things by their names and condemn these terrorist attacks” against Syria, directing the same accusation at the United States, which has listed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization.

In response, the U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said that this designation “does not justify the atrocities” allegedly committed by the Assad regime and its Russian ally.

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Wood stated, “The fact that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the UN in no way justifies the new atrocities committed by the Assad regime and its Russian supporters.”

For his part, Raed al-Saleh, director of the Syrian “White Helmets” organization, accused the international community of “completely abandoning” the Syrian people. He addressed UN Security Council members, stating: “The Syrian people have pleaded with you to take immediate action to end these crimes and ensure peace, even though this is at the core of the Council’s existence, but in recent years, you have not only failed to respond to these calls, but many of your governments have ignored the Syrian tragedy.”

Al-Saleh specifically attacked Russia, demanding it stop supporting the Syrian regime and stop “obstructing the path of justice and accountability,” as well as abandoning its “deceptive rhetoric aimed at defaming” his organization, which specializes in civil defense.

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The Russian Ambassador had unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the head of the White Helmets from speaking before the Council, accusing him of being involved in a “large-scale falsification operation” to “defame the Syrian authorities.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that Moscow firmly supports the actions of the Syrian leadership to counter the attacks by what she described as “terrorist groups,” specifying that the recent advances by Syrian opposition forces would not have been possible without external support and incitement.

She added that opposition forces had obtained drones and training from abroad.

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She noted that the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey were in “close communication” to ensure stability in Syria in the face of the opposition factions’ offensive.

She stated, “The foreign ministers of the three guarantor countries” of the Astana process, aimed at finding a political solution to the conflict in Syria, “Russia, Iran, and Turkey, are in close communication,” adding, “We hope that all countries with influence over the situation on the ground in Syria will use it to restore security and stability in the country as soon as possible.”

Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel-Aty, confirmed his country’s support for Syria, its sovereignty, and the unity and territorial integrity of its land amidst the renewed fighting in northern Syria, emphasizing the utmost importance of preserving civilian lives.

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The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a release on Wednesday that Abdel-Aty had received a phone call from his Syrian counterpart, Bassam Sabbagh, during which the two officials discussed “the latest developments and field updates in northern Syria, and the serious implications of these developments on the security and stability of Syria and the entire region.”

The statement further noted that during the call, they discussed ways to support the Syrian state amid recent developments, particularly within the framework of the Arab League.

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On the ground, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the Syrian army launched a “counter-offensive” in Hama province in central Syria, successfully pushing back the armed opposition factions that had advanced in northern Syria following an attack that began last week.

The Observatory stated on Wednesday that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies “failed” to capture Mount Zayn al-Abidin near the city of Hama after fierce battles with regime forces, who launched a counter-attack late Tuesday to Wednesday, supported by airstrikes. This allowed the army to push the factions back about 10 kilometers from the city of Hama.

On Tuesday, the Observatory confirmed that HTS fighters and their allies were “at the gates” of the city of Hama, while the army announced it had sent reinforcements.

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It further clarified that the “Deterrence of Aggression” forces had reached the gates of Hama, which had experienced a significant wave of displacement due to the fierce fighting in its surroundings. The city was also targeted by missile fire from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its allies.

Meanwhile, the Syrian state news agency SANA quoted a military source as saying that the Syrian army had repelled the attack and pushed the assailants about 20 kilometers from Hama.

SANA also reported that “large military reinforcements had arrived in Hama to bolster the troops at the frontlines and counter any potential attack by armed terrorist groups.”

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It added that “our armed forces are at the city’s outskirts” and that “efforts are underway to reclaim several sites and towns that were taken by the armed terrorist groups.”

According to the Observatory, “dozens of families” had fled several areas in the western and northern countryside of Hama. The factions had managed to take control of several cities and towns in northern Hama “after fierce clashes with regime forces.” The Syrian opposition also revealed that the commander of the Syrian army‘s special forces, Suheil al-Hassan, had been injured in an attack on a meeting at Mount Zayn al-Abidin.

Field sources in Syria reported on Wednesday that regime forces are arresting individuals capable of carrying weapons, aged between 15 and 47, in the Eastern Ghouta region of Damascus.

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According to information from these sources, the Syrian regime is arresting all individuals within these age ranges who are able to carry a weapon, including their vehicles. The sources did not provide a specific number of detainees, but they mentioned that young people in the area are trying to hide from the regime and its forces out of fear of being arrested.

The Iraqi army announced on Wednesday that its Chief of Staff, General Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, was conducting a visit to inspect the fortifications and preparations along the border with Syria, according to a brief statement from the security media cell. Sources also mention the movement of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to Syria to support the regime.

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The statement indicated that “Chief of Staff of the Army, General of Division Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, and General of Division Dr. Qais al-Muhammadawi, Deputy Commander of Joint Operations, arrived at the Iraqi-Syrian border strip to inspect the fortifications and readiness, accompanied by the assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Army for operations, the commander of ground forces, and several other commanders and officers.”