Russian 'Transformers' robot tank killer tested in Syria

A Russian combat "Transformers robot" was spotted near northern Syria, the latest of Moscow's weaponry to be tried and tested in the country.

The killer Uranus-9 tank was spotted an undisclosed region in northern Syria, according to Russian aviation publication Avia.Pro.

"Information about the appearance in Russia of the Russian combat robot 'Uranus-9', capable of easily destroying enemy armored vehicles and gutting military aircraft, appeared long ago. However, it is reported that a unique robotic complex has been spotted in northern Syria," Avia.Pro said.

"Judging by the photograph presented, the combat robot took an active part in military operations together with the Russian and Syrian military, including in repelling numerous attacks by militants."

The Uranus-9 is one of Russia's newest anti-tank vehicles. It was designed in 2015 and has been in service since January this year being deployed only in Syria as a form of military assistance to Bashar Al-Assad's regime.

Read also: Almost 300 civilians killed in Syria last month

"It should be noted that the Russian combat robotic complex Uranus-9 has in its arsenal a 30-mm automatic cannon 2A72, perfectly suitable for hitting unarmoured and lightly armoured vehicles, as well as air targets, and a set of four anti-tank guided missiles, which makes it formidable the adversary," Avia.Pro said.

For nearly a decade, Russia has been condemned on a global scale for its alliance with the Syrian regime.

According to the publication, it's unclear where the Russian robot machine was used, but it is believed to have been in Idlib, which was witnessed fierce fighting in recent days.

Social media have compared the tank killer to the 'Transformers' robots, with the logo of the blockbuster film series stuck on the armour.

The Syrian war began when the Syrian regime responded with military force against peaceful protesters demanding democratic reforms during the Arab Spring.

A wave of uprisings and mass defections from the Syrian army led to a nationwide war which has seen hundreds of thousands of civilians killed and half the population displaced.

The brutal tactics pursued mainly by the regime, which have included the use of chemical weapons, sieges, mass executions and torture against civilians have led to war crimes investigations.

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