Syrian opposition say they stand in solidarity with Ukraine after their own experiences of Russian aggression

Syrians on Thursday slammed Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, saying they stand in solidarity with Ukrainians after their own experiences of Moscow's aggression.

Syria's National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces - the country's main opposition group - lambasted Russia's operation, which comes after nearly seven years of waves of Russian bombing of rebel areas in Syria.

"The Syrian National Coalition condemns Russia's attack on Ukraine and invites the world to stand firm against it," they said in a statement on Thursday.

The opposition group called on the international community to take action against Russia's unprovoked attack.

"As Syrian people, we stand by the friendly Ukrainian people and support their resistance against Russia," it said.

Syrian scholar Marwan Safar Jalani said: "The solidarity that Syrians are showing with Ukrainians doesn’t only come from a common experience with Russian military occupation; it's coming from an increasing recognition that what's happening to Ukraine is a result of what the world let Putin do to Syria."

In opposition-held Syria, artist Aziz Asmar painted a mural on the side of a destroyed building showing support for Ukraine.

From people in #idlib to #Ukraine
Out heart goes out to the people of #Ukraina 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/Q37fa64rFN

— Majd khalaf (@majdkhalaf1993) February 24, 2022

The Syrian regime, whose survival is based largely on Russian assistance from 2015, has supported Russia's ratcheting up of tensions in Europe.

Earlier this week, Syria Foreign Minister Fayssal Mikdad praised Russia for its support of the Assad regime.

He expressed support for Moscow's recognition of the "independence" of Luhansk and Donetsk - two regions of Ukraine under Russian control, according to state news agency SANA.

Russia has provided air support to the Syrian regime since September 2015, launching airstrikes on opposition areas that have not only decimated rebel supply lines but also emptied out cities and towns.

The air campaign has cost thousands of civilian lives.

Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, on Wednesday evening told the UN General Assembly during a meeting on the Ukrainian crisis that his regime supports Moscow.

The Syrian regime, led by dictator Bashar Al-Assad is a staunch ally of Russia.

The leaders of the US, UK, and France said they had spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to lend his country their support.

US President Joe Biden called Russia's attack "unprovoked and unjustified".