Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine and Syria expose a fundamental distinction in approach: trying to extract itself from the former while showing no sign of applying that strategy to the latter. Officially, an “all is well” message is promulgated by the Russian political-military leadership concerning the air campaign in Syria. Perhaps carried away by the euphoria of conducting its first out-of-area operations since Afghanistan, speculation has arisen about the opening of a new airbase in Syria, close to the Turkish border, prompting denials from officials (Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye, January 25). The military media works tirelessly to advance the idea that …read more
Source: The Jamestown Foundation