Very rare moment amid Ukraine war: Russian and US troops pose for pictures, exchange greetings on Syrian soil
Russian and US troops exchange greetings
In a rare moment, soldiers of a Russian military convoy on October 8 exchanged friendly greetings with US soldiers when their patrol routes intersected in an oil field near Syria's al-Qahtaniyah town in the northeastern Hasakah province. The region is quite close to the border with Turkey.
Meeting amid Russia-Ukraine war
Their meeting occurred at a very crucial time when the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war—which started this year on February 24—is entering a new phase with Russia pummelling Ukraine with missile strikes. On Monday (October 10), Russia attacked Ukrainian cities by striking them with missiles. At least 19 people are dead and more than 100 are injured.
Russia-US troops in Syria
Troops of both Washington and Moscow are there on Syrian soil backing opposing sides of the war that has ravaged the Middle Eastern country since 2011.
In 2014, the US first deployed troops in northeast Syria, which was a part of a coalition to combat the Islamic State group. On the other hand, the Russian military backed the government of President Bashar al-Assad since 2015. However, the forces were not deployed in the northeast until 2019 after a Turkish invasion against Kurdish fighters.
For the unversed, deconfliction channels have been in place since 2015 to prevent any clash between the Russians and the Americans.
Russian troops also helped US forces avoid a face-off with Syrian regime forces.
Smiles and handshakes
A report by the news agency AFP mentioned that its correspondents said that both the rival troops met and posed for pictures together over the weekend on a northeast Syria highway.
Well, it was not the first time their troops crossed paths in the Kurdish-held region but, this meeting made it significant.
'Very rare moment'
The reporters from ground zero noted that instead of just zipping past each other, the convoys stopped and soldie
As quoted by AFP, Syrian expert Samuel Ramani said that it was a "very rare moment" and also a sign "that Russia and the US still want deconfliction in Syria".
Russian vehicles with 'Z' markings
In the photos, 'Z' markings were also visible. The Z (military symbol) are widely seen on Russian tanks and military vehicles during the ongoing Ukraine war.
Some experts say that the symbol 'Z' means "Za pobedy" (for victory), while others believe 'Z' means "Zapad" (West)".
Troops exchanged momentos
The reporters also said that several troops were even seen exchanging small patches worn on their uniforms as momentos of this rare interaction.
(With inputs from agencies)
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