Oleg Eliseev: Aleppo under fire

The eastern regions of the Syrian city of Aleppo, controlled by the rebels, were again subjected to massive shelling by the government army and air bombing of the Russian military-space forces (VKS), Reuters reports. The third time over the past few days, the goal of air strikes was the largest hospital in East Aleppo. According to the rebels and rescuers to the hospital, at least seven bombs were dropped. At this moment, there were several patients and doctors in the building. The interlocutors of the agency say that two patients died, another 13 were injured.

After yesterday’s blows, the main trauma hospital of East Aleppo was almost completely destroyed. Destroyed infrastructure, equipment and generators. Now the hospital does not work, patients are transferred to other hospitals. In a week, this is the third attack on the hospital. The first bombing was reported on September 28. Then the bombs fell into the intensive care unit. The press release of the Syrian-American Medical Society (SAMS) says that at least two barrels were dropped into the hospital.

Now in East Aleppo there are only 29 doctors and five hospitals left for 300 thousand inhabitants - two trauma departments and three first aid departments, they say at SAMS.

“The situation in Aleppo is terrifying. We are hiding in a nearby basement due to intense bombing. We live in constant fear. People are buried under the rubble, but we cannot get to them due to constant shelling. We beg, help stop the bombing and killing of innocent citizens. Let people live in Aleppo. Let the children be children. Let the medical personnel do your job, ”quotes the organization of Muhammad Abu Rajib, a doctor who worked a destroyed hospital.

According to world news agencies, Russian aircraft yesterday struck the five districts of East Aleppo, which remained under the control of the rebels. In particular, the blows were directed to the road of Castello, which serves by supplying the rebels, the Al-Malai area and the refugee camp of Handarat. It is reported about ground battles between the government army and the forces of the opposition.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeyer on his Facebook page called for restoring the truce as fast as possible: “Aleppo bombardments should finally stop! Those who want to fight terrorists do not attack hospitals. ”

Paris also condemned the hospital bombardment in Aleppo. Foreign Minister of France, Jean-Marc Ero, stated that the shelling of hospitals and staff in the besieged city is nothing more than a war crime. He also announced the next emergency convocation of the UN Security Council. “The perpetrators will be punished,” Ero summed up.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry called up twice to discuss the situation in Aleppo. The first conversation took place on the initiative of the American side. The website of the Russian ministry says that diplomats discussed the possibilities of “normalizing the situation around Aleppo, where illegal armed groups, contrary to Russian-American agreements on the termination of conflicting sides of fire, continue fighting.” The second time Lavrov and Kerry contacted late in the evening, but in addition to Syrian, they also discussed the North Korean problem.

The United States requires Russia to stop an attack on Aleppo and restore the ceasefire. Previously, Kerry threatened to stop any joint work in Syria. In Moscow, Washington's statements were called blackmail. “It is impossible to achieve settlement and stabilization on such an basis. But you won’t forcibly sweet. We have our own approaches and our principles, ”answered the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov.

The Moral Agreement in Syria, reached by Russia and the United States, operated only a week, after which the Syrian government army, faithful to Bashar Assad, resumed an attack on Aleppo. According to humanitarian organizations, only 1.7 thousand airlines have been applied to the eastern part of the city in eight days in the eastern part of the city, more than 450 civilians were killed.