Assad's Aleppo loss deals a blow to Russia's global standing
Israeli analyst Daniel Rakov assessed that the capture of Aleppo, Syria, by Islamist rebels is an embarrassing defeat for Russia, which supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Rakov emphasized that Ukraine has been supporting Syrian rebels in recent months, although the scale of this support remains unclear.
On Saturday, the rebels took control of most of Aleppo, which took the Russians by surprise. Daniel Rakov, an expert on Russian policy from the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, noted that Russian state media largely ignore the fighting in Syria. The Russian authorities minimize the scale of the conflict and exaggerate Assad's capability to manage the rebellion.
Impact on Russia's image
Rakov assessed that Assad's loss of Aleppo tarnishes Russia's image as a power seeking to project its strength beyond the post-Soviet sphere. It also threatens Putin's strategic assets, including Russian military bases in Syria. The rapid pace of the rebel offensive forces Russia to respond swiftly.
Assad's regime losing control over northern Syria, which is allied with Iran and Russia, complicates the rebuilding of Hezbollah, which supported Assad. The Shiite organization engaged in battles with Israel for a year, escalating to open warfare over the last two months. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in effect since Wednesday.
Sudden rebel attack
Fighters from the Syrian organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and their allies launched an offensive against government forces. On Saturday, the rebels seized Aleppo and continue to advance, with intense battles occurring between government forces and Islamist militias. Russia and Syria's air forces bombed Aleppo, and over 300 people have already died in the fighting.
These are the most serious clashes in Syria since 2020, when Russia and Turkey, which supports the rebels, reached an agreement that ended most of the fighting. The civil war in Syria broke out in 2011, plunging the country into chaos. The regime in Damascus regained control over most of the territory with the assistance of Russia and Iran.
The conflict has claimed at least half a million lives. Aleppo, which had a population of over 2 million before the war, was the site of some of the bloodiest battles. Assad regained the city in 2016.
