Residents of the town of Hmeimim in Syria have reported that the residential buildings in the town are experiencing cracks on their walls and rooftops that are getting wider every day. This has caused most of the town's population to flee to areas far from the airport [3][4]. According to Al-Quds Al-Arabi report in 2015 a civil engineer whom they interviewed stated that if Russian warplanes continue to operate in this manner, it will have "disastrous" effects on the nearby town and people. The engineer explained that the planes take off near the town at low altitudes, creating a loud noise, a white cloud, and a pressure of air particles that can disturb the foundations of buildings and increase the load pressure on them, leading to the appearance of cracks that can reduce the lifespan of the buildings and potentially cause them to collapse. A real estate owner in the town also confirmed that the price of buildings has fallen by a quarter and that the town's urban movement has come to a complete halt due to the displacement of more than half of its population, estimated at 15,000 people. |