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Showing posts with the label Russian involvement in Syrian conflict

5 Ways to View Putin’s Syrian Surprise ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Nikolas Gvosdev)

Image credits- VOA Source- The National Interest Author-  Nikolas K. Gvosdev How are we to make sense of Vladimir Putin’s announcement that the bulk of the Russian expeditionary force in Syria is to be withdrawn over an as-of-yet undefined period in the coming weeks and months? Is this a Kremlin victory lap, or a way to extricate Russia from what might prove to be a dangerous and costly mistake? Here are five ways to view Putin’s surprise. 1) Mission accomplished The most straightforward explanation, based on an assessment that the Russian expeditionary deployment, which began last September, was always intended to be a short-term operation. At the time, the Kremlin made no grandiose promises about what its active involvement in the Syrian civil war would bring—no boasting about how the Islamic State would be destroyed or statements about restoring control over all of Syria to the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Like the Russian intervention in the Donbass the ye

Russia's Military Is Catching Up to the West by Fighting in Syria ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Blake Franko)

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Vitaly Kuzmin) Source- The National Interest Author- Blake Franko There has been much sensational media attention over Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision to shore up Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, with hints that it could even be the start of a second Afghanistan for Russia. But there are strong incentives for Russia to fight in a limited role in Syria. The New York Times recently highlighted this, detailing how Russia under Putin has been keen on advancing its military prowess and Syria has therefore become Russia’s proving ground. In this sense, the invasion of Ukraine and intervention in Syria are no mistake, but rather stepping stones toward a larger Russian strategic goal. Besides the obvious reasons—supporting an ally who secures regional interests and landing an embarrassing blow to the Obama administration’s Middle East policy—Russia’s military is continuing its march toward professionalization. Putin has been sho

Russia's Lethal Thermobaric Rocket Launchers: A Game Changer in Syria? ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Dave Majumdar)

Russian TOC-1A Buratino ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / ru:Участник:Goodvint) Source- The National Interest Author- Dave Majumdar Russia is reportedly deploying the TOS-1 Buratino multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) to Syria as part of its expanded presence in that country. It is unclear how many of the weapons have been sent to Syria, reports suggest a substantial number have been deployed. Indeed, there are videos of the Buratino purportedly in action in Syria’s Latakia province. But while Russia has deployed other ground vehicles and artillery pieces to the war-torn country, the use of the Buratino in Syria is likely to draw a strong reaction from many quarters. Based on the chassis of the T-72 tank, the TOS-1 is no ordinary self-propelled artillery piece—it is primarily designed to launch massive thermobaric charges against infantry in confined spaces such as urban areas or mountainous regions. While there is no question of the effectiveness and devastating

Russian Jet Down in Turkey: Misstep or Game-Changer? ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Nikolas K. Gvosdev)

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Dmitry Terekhov Source- The National Interest Author-  Nikolas K. Gvosdev As we continue to gather more information on the shoot-down of a Russian aircraft by Turkish planes, the incident forces not only Russia and Turkey but all NATO countries (including the United States) as well as other regional players to reconsider their positions and assumptions. Over the coming hours, days and weeks, we will have a better sense of whether this will be treated as a tragic mistake or whether it will be seen as a game-changer that alters the trajectory of the Syrian conflict and Russia's relationship with the West. In the immediate aftermath, whatever progress Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan achieved on the sidelines of the Antalya G-20 summit is now completely lost. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's trip to Turkey, which was designed to get the Turkish-Russian agenda back on track, has now been cancelled. The shoot-do

Saudi Arabia And Russia Clash Over Syria – Analysis ( Source- Eurasia Review / Author- Chris Zambelis)

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / VOA Source- Eurasia Review Author- Chris Zambelis The full repercussions of Russia’s growing involvement in the Syria conflict in the form of overt military action have yet to be realized. Until now, Moscow’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Ba’athist regime, in concert with ongoing support furnished by Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Iraq, has proved critical to its survival in the face of an ever expansive insurgency. Despite its embattled disposition, the Ba’athist regime remains without question the most powerful actor in Syria’s civil war. The conflict has come to be typified by a muddle of armed opposition factions represented by competing radical Islamist currents led by Daesh (“Islamic State”) and al-Qaeda’s Syrian-based franchise Jabhat al-Nusra and a host of other hardline Islamist militants that straddle the ideological divide between both camps. The far less impactful yet nevertheless notable cohort of insurge

Why Russia Needs an Exit Strategy in Syria ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Michail Barabanov)

Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Credits- Alex Beltyukov Source- The National Interest Author- Michail Barabanov Russia's intervention in Syria is the most remarkable military and political campaign of Putin's era, the first post-Soviet substantial military foray beyond the borders of the former USSR. For historical purposes, Russia's intervention in Syria, more than anything else, marks its return to the global arena as a player with whom other powers--led as they are by the United States--must contend, albeit reluctantly. Clearly, the decision to dispatch a Russian military contingent to Syria was a very risky step in military, foreign policy, and domestic policy terms. The military intent whereby the operation would be limited solely to aerial bombardment and support of an ally fighting on the ground appears reasonable and moderate; however, one might recall that, in the early days in Vietnam, the Americans pursued a similar course, and look how things

Russia Has Its Own 'A-10' Warthog in Syria: Enter the Su-25 Frogfoot ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Dave Majumdar_

Sukhoi SU-25 FrogFoot ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Credits- Dmitry A. Mottl) Source- The National Interest Author- Dave Majumdar While top-of-the-line Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-H fighters and Su-34 Fullback bombers have captured the lion’s share of attention, the single most effective Russian aircraft deployed to Syria is the venerable Su-25 Frogfoot. The Russian air force has deployed a dozen of the slow, low-altitude flying tanks to its base in Latakia. But it’s not clear which version of the jet Russia has sent to Syria, however it’s probable that these are the latest Su-25SM version of the aircraft. “The Russian air force will use the Frogfoots to support the Assad regime in the same way the USAF is using the A-10 Warthog to support the Iraqi government,” one veteran U.S. Air Force aviator told me. Another senior Air Force official agreed. “Frogfoots are the best air-to-ground platform for this type of fight for sure.” The much-vaunted Su-34 Fullback bombe