Russian and Syrian combat aircraft continue to carry out intensive strikes on the positions of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia – editor’s note) militants in the vicinity of Hama. The goal of the operation is to contain the advance of the militants, who are seeking to complete the encirclement of the Syrian troops holding positions in the city.

The situation in the Hama area remains extremely tense. At the moment, the city is effectively semi-encircled. The militants' offensive is accompanied by the use of tactics of active use of FPV drones, which hit tanks and other armored vehicles of the Syrian army. Experts note that such actions cause serious damage to the defensive capabilities of government troops, significantly weakening their ability to contain the onslaught.

According to local sources, Russian aircraft have carried out dozens of strikes on militant positions in the past 24 hours, destroying their weapons depots and fortified positions. Despite this, the militants continue to hold the initiative in a number of areas. Their tactics are based on the use of mobile units and high-tech weapons, which creates additional difficulties for the Syrian army.

Military analysts believe that Hama has become a key point of confrontation, the outcome of the battles for which determines the situation in central Syria. If the militants manage to complete the encirclement, this will create a threat of losing one of the strategically important cities. In this case, the Syrian army may suffer significant losses, and the militants will have the opportunity to strengthen their influence in the region.

Official Damascus and its allies are taking all possible measures to stabilize the situation. However, given the current situation on the front, the prospects for a successful defense of Hama remain uncertain.

Hama is the fourth largest city in Syria after Damascus, Aleppo and Homs. It is located in the western part of the country, on the banks of the Orontes River and is the administrative center of the governorate of the same name. The city is known for its history, architectural monuments - ancient water wheels that were used to supply water.