Russian Propaganda: Only 23 missiles hit Syrian base, minimally effective attack

Russian propaganda outlet Russian Insider published drone footage and a description of the damage done by a U.S. guided missile attack on a Syrian airbase saying that most of the missiles missed their targets and minimal damage had been done.

“On April 7, at the time between 3:42 and 3:56 a.m. Moscow time [00:42-00:56 GMT] a massive missile attack by 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles was carried out from two destroyers of the US Navy [Ross and Porter], from the Mediterranean Sea, near the island of Crete, targeting Syrian airfield Ash Sha’irat [Homs Province],” Russian defense ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. “According to the Russian data recording technology, only 23 cruise missiles reached the Syrian airbase. It is not clear where the other 36 cruise missiles landed,” Konashenkov added.

“You can see that the runway, taxiways were not damaged by the cruise missiles,” Konashenkov continued. “Therefore, the combat effectiveness of the American massive missile strike on the Syrian Air Base is extremely low.”

American officials have not addressed the propaganda directly but refute the effectiveness claims saying that 20 planes, ammunition storage facilities, and fuel storage depots were targeted and destroyed. Secretary of State Tillerson said that the runways were not a target due to their construction.