Russian air defenses repel drone attack on military base in Syria – details

Russian air defense units near a major military base operated by Russia in northwest Syria have repelled a new, but by no means uncommon, weaponized drone attack.
On Tuesday night, the Russian radar network covering air activities across northwest Syria and the country’s Mediterranean coastal area detected an unidentifiable object that was too small to be a conventional aircraft (either military or civilian) and could not be raised.
Inbound on a threatening course towards the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base, the flying object was identified as hostile and liable for being targeted. Moments after this, the drone was engaged and destroyed, reportedly falling somewhere off the Syrian coast.
The event is by no means a new one. If fact often the militants who launch these drone attacks out of Syria’s jihadist-occupied northwest (namely Idlib province) do so using anywhere between four to ten drones.
The drones used are guided by GPS navigation assistance and generally carry small bomblets that do not pack much of an explosive punch; however, if they do find a direct mark on a Russian warplane it can lead to tens of millions in damage for the Russian military.
In addition to maintaining a capable, multi-layered and highly-alert air defense network to protect the Khmeimim Air Base and other Russian assets in northwest Syria, video reports released by Russian media show that the military airport itself has undergone an overhaul to further protect the dozens of warplanes stationed at the site, namely in the form of lightly armored shelters.