シリア第3の大都市として、100万人以上が暮らしていたシリア西部の都市ホムス。今、かつての面影はほとんどない。
ドローンを使って、ホムスを上空から撮影した映像が公開された。戦闘の傷跡の深さに言葉を失う。激しい迫撃や爆弾で破壊し尽くされ、廃墟と化した建物だけが延々と続いている。
途中、一台の白い車と数人の子供たちの姿が見えるが、それ以外ほとんど誰も残っていない。戦闘で何千人もの人々が殺され、ほとんどの住民は街から避難したのだ。この数か月はイスラム国（IS）が勢力を拡大している。
2011年以降、ホムスではアサド大統領の政府勢力と反体制勢力の激しい武力衝突が起きてきた。最後まで残っていた反政府勢力が休戦協定を受け入れ、この街から出ていったのは2015年末のことだ。
映像を撮影したのはロシアの映像制作会社「ロシア・ワークス」。設立者のアレキサンダー・プーシン氏はロシア政府やロシア国営放送と関係がある人物で、映像にはプロパガンダ色が感じられる。
ロシア・ワークスがシリアの映像を最初に公開したのは2015年10月だ。首都ダマスカスの郊外にある反政府勢力の支配地域が、アサド大統領の部隊によって破壊される様子が映されていた。
ロシア政府は長年にわたりアサド政権を支持している。数か月前からは、シリア全土での空爆を強化していると報じられている。
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