Similarities between Syria and Ukraine: a peek into Putin's war playbook

Vladimir Putin seems to use the same war playbook no matter what country he is operating in.  The similarities between the Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts are undeniable despite the different origins of the wars.

The tactics are far too similar, from indiscriminate, reckless bombings to targeting civilian infrastructures.

Aljazeera wrote about the subject and spoke to Mohammad al Shebli, a spokesperson for the Syrian Civil Defence or White Helmets, a volunteer search and rescue group, about the matter. "It is the identical scenario being repeated in Ukraine, as it happened in Syria," said Mohammad al-Shebli, calling the country Putin's "playground."

Mohammad went on to say, "Everything that provides life and sustainability for civilians is a target for Russian attacks."

In both Syria and Ukraine, President Putin and his generals indiscriminately used airpower, leading to massive civilian casualties.

Even though Russia denies targeting civilians in the Ukraine "military operation" in both Syria and the Ukraine, hospitals, schools, and civilian residential areas were targeted.

And it doesn't look like things will be getting any better for civilians in Ukraine any time soon, especially since Putin assigned General Aleksandr Dvornikov, aka the "Butcher of Syria," to be his ground commander in Ukraine.

The people killed or injured in Putin's wars are, more often than not, women and children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. People who should not be targeted given their status and who are meant to be protected under international human rights law.

Human Rights Watch condemned a Russian attack on a Ukrainian hospital and several residential and commercial buildings, including a pharmacy, on March 3rd, 2022.

On March 9th, 2022, Amnesty International stated that an investigation found that a Russian air raid using at least eight unguided aerial bombs killed dozens of civilians in Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, an attack the organization considers a war crime.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) a total of 6,826 civilian deaths have been verified during Russia's invasion of Ukraine as of December 18, 2022. Of them, 428 were children.

Diana Semaan, Syria researcher at Amnesty International, told the publication Al Jazeera, “Russian forces have used unguided bombs in densely populated areas and inherently indiscriminate cluster munitions in Syria. These same tactics have been used in Ukraine.”

Putin doesn't seem to be concerned about these accusations. The Russian president has aided the most ruthless of dictators. Putin helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wage war against his own people.

With Putin and the Russian military's support, Assad chemically gassed his citizens, imprisoned children, tortured thousands of people, starved entire cities by imposing sieges, and sent millions of refugees outside of their country.

During the siege of Aleppo in 2016, Putin helped by sending in Russian warplanes, which systematically targeted hospitals and the White Helmets.

More than 440 civilians died during the Aleppo siege, among them newborn babies, doctors, students, and at least 90 children. Actions which are undoubtedly war crimes.

For some time, Putin's focus has been on Ukraine. Since his invasion of the country began at the end of February, 2022, it is obvious he is using the same strategies he used in Syria, despite the Kremlin's vehement denial of war crimes and targeting civilians.

Pictured: a mass grave behind a church in Bucha, Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin is using a campaign of terror to wear down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's fighting spirit and the Ukrainian people as well. Putin's strategy is also helping Russia empty Ukraine of citizens, forcing them to flee.

According to the UN, Putin's actions have forced more than 15.9 million Ukrainians from their homes: 7.9 million have fled abroad, and more than 8 million are displaced within Ukraine.

The fleeing of the masses is yet another similarity between the Ukraine and Syrian conflicts. Millions of refugees left Syria during the war and fled to other countries seeking safety.

Another similarity between the war in Ukraine and Syria is, according to Ruslan Trad, a political analyst who spoke with Aljazeera, "the pattern of implementing sieges and establishing brief “humanitarian corridors” to displace the population."

Ruslan Trad told Aljazeera that the siege and evacuate tactic is one the Russians picked up in Syria. “The most obvious examples are in the siege of Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta,” Trad said. “It is in these areas that the Russian military was advising al-Assad’s forces and also taking notes on its effectiveness.”

Another tactic that Putin is using that he also used in Syria is the use of disinformation about war crimes and civilian casualties. The Guardian reported that "To date, Russia has not accepted killing a single civilian in Syria and has no known mechanism to measure the civilian impact of its actions."

Since Russia attacked Ukraine in February, 2022, pro-Russian propaganda has been bolder than ever in Putin's homeland. Even calling the special "military operation" a war in Russia has become a crime and Putin insists that Ukraine is a nazi-state.

In Syria, Russia also used disinformation, with perhaps the most famous case being the successful disinformation campaigns against the civilian rescue group, the White Helmets.

The White Helmets gained international fame for sharing videos of their rescues of civilians after the Russian bombings. However, the Kremlin managed to convince many that the videos were fake.

When the war in Ukraine began, some experts predicted that Vladimir Putin would not apply the same brutal tactics he used in Syria to Ukraine, many due to the close ties between the two countries. However, thus far, it seems Russia's President has no issues with committing war crimes against many of his compatriots' friends and family.