Unverified video circulating on social media appears to show at least two Syrian Air Force Sukhoi Su-22 fighter-bombers conducting what are described as training flights over northern Syria.
The footage was first highlighted by military analyst Hassan and later reported by the Ukrainian defense publication Militarnyi. Neither the location nor the date of the video has been independently verified, and Syrian authorities have not commented on the aircraft's status.
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If authentic, the images would provide another indication that Syria's new government has succeeded in returning part of the former air force to operational status after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.
The Su-22, the export version of the Soviet Su-17, has served as one of the Syrian Air Force's main strike aircraft for decades. According to The Military Balance 2024, Syria still had about 20 examples before the Assad government fell, although many were believed to be in storage or no longer airworthy.
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Following the change of government, questions remained over how many fixed-wing combat aircraft could be restored. In September 2025, reports indicated that a Su-22 had flown from Shayrat Air Base for the first time under the new authorities, while Mi-24 attack helicopters had already been used in combat operations earlier that year.
The reported flights also come shortly after Syria graduated the first class of 1,000 air force cadets trained since the fall of the Assad government and days after Damascus and Moscow signed a memorandum covering the future of Russia's military presence at Hmeimim Air Base and the naval facility at Tartus.
Although the aircraft seen in the video appear consistent with Su-22M3 or Su-22M4 variants, the footage alone does not confirm how many aircraft have returned to service or the operational condition of the Syrian Air Force's remaining fleet.
