What weapons are useful for Ukraine in Syria, is it real to get them?

On Sunday, December 8, 2024, Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria fell, potentially opening the door for the redistribution of the arsenal once held by government forces. This raises the question of which weapons in Syria might interest Ukraine, as several valuable options exist. The Defense Express media and consulting company has analyzed the Syrian arsenal of weapons provided by Russia.

For example, Syria had Russian Bastion coastal anti-ship systems equipped with supersonic P-800 Onyx missiles. Besides Syria, which acquired these systems in 2013, Russia has only exported Bastion systems to Vietnam. These rare weapons could provide Ukraine with insights to develop countermeasures against Russian missile attacks.

Read also Can Ukraine acquire Russian weapons abandoned in Syria?

Additionally, The Military Balance 2024 notes that Assad's forces had Tochka-U and Elbrus missile systems, as well as Iranian Fateh-110 missiles. These Iranian ballistic missiles could be studied to better counter potential threats. While integrating Elbrus systems into the Ukrainian Armed Forces may be questionable, the Tochka systems could serve Ukrainian forces well for missile strikes on Russian targets.

Syria's ground-based air defense arsenal included at least 20 S-300PMU2 launchers, up to 36 S-125-2M Pechora-2M launchers, and several S-200, Buk, and Buk-M2 systems. Acquiring these systems would significantly bolster Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.

In terms of artillery, Syria had 220 mm Uragan and 300 mm Smerch multiple launch rocket systems. Given the global shortage of ammunition for these systems, their acquisition would be strategically valuable.

Regarding aviation, Syria had 184 military aircraft at the start of the year, including up to 30 MiG-29s (some upgraded to MiG-29SM capable of using advanced missiles and bombs) and ten Su-24MK bombers. There were also four Ka-28 anti-submarine helicopters and five Mi-14s, which could potentially serve as sources for spare parts.

However, the possibility of obtaining these weapons raises many challenges, Defense Express notes. First, it is unclear with whom in Syria agreements can now be made to secure this equipment. Second, time is a critical factor, as the Israeli Air Force has already begun systematically targeting military bases in Syria to eliminate significant weapon stockpiles.