Russia’s Southern Military District and Airborne Forces Placed on Alert

Russia’s Southern Military District and Airborne Forces Placed on Alert –

“We are talking of a perfectly possible war with the West and NATO in the vicinity of Syria and Turkey. This is direct mobilization for war. The likelihood of combat is very high, not 100%, of course, but nevertheless,” 

Pavel Felgengauer, military expert

Original published by NSN, translation and analysis by J.Hawk

Southfront – On February 8, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered the Southern Military District Forces, as well as designated Airborne Forces and Military Transport Aviation units, to undergo immediate combat readiness checks. The announcement of the drills was made by Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.

He said that the Southern Military District and designated Airborne Forces and Military Transport Aviation units will be brought to the state of full combat readiness as of 5 o’clock on Monday. “We must assess these units’ ability to conduct movement for the purpose of concentration, and also check the ability of the air and air defense units to defeat enemy air raids against important military and state facilities,” Shoygu said.

Konstantin Sivkov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, said that the sudden readiness check does not imply preparation for war.

“We also also sent troops to the East, but the war there still has not begun. A mobilization of this of that military district is not an indicator,” Sivkov believes.

Nevertheless, there is a possibility of a serious armed conflict with the participation of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United States, Sivkov believes. The probability of war is quite high.

“This is why naval, air, and ground forces are being brought to a state of readiness,” Sivkov added.

Pavel Felgengauer, a military expert, believes otherwise. He does not believe the sudden SMD check is coincidental.

“We are talking of a perfectly possible war with the West and NATO in the vicinity of Syria and Turkey. This is direct mobilization for war. The likelihood of combat is very high, not 100%, of course, but nevertheless,” Felgengauer added.

He also noted the mobilization is not being done with maneuvers in mind but “deploying forces for war.”

What is more, one cannot rule out that fighting in the Middle East escalates into a big European war.

“Clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces can become a Russia-Turkey war which will encompass the whole Black Sea region as well as Caucasus and Crimea, and then a general European war, Russia against NATO. We are in a pre-war stage right now,” Felgengauer emphasized.

In December 2015, NATO grew concerned with the frequency and scale of Russian military exercises. It was reported that the West intends to use the OSCE to get Russia to announce these exercises ahead of time.

Minister of Defense Shoygu also said that foreign defense attaches will be notified of the immediate SMD alert.