http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11919242/Why-does-Russia-support-Syrias-Bashar-al-Assad.html
Earlier this week, 50 civilians were killed in airstrikes at a rebel-held towns in Syria. According to an article published by Reuters, the locals have blamed Russia for the airstrikes, saying that the “planes deployed were more numerous and the munitions more powerful than the Syrian military typically used.” However, Putin has denied that any airstrikes have produced civilian casualties, and further maintains his military’s commitment to targeting islamic extremism and ISIS affiliates in the region. Nonetheless, Russia’s concerted airstrikes are taking their toll on rebel forces, and they appear to be paving the way for Assad’s forces to regain Aleppo, which, according to the article, will be “the Syrian government’s biggest victory of the war.”
The long-term implications of Russia’s continued commitment to Assad’s internationally denounced regime are worth revisiting. Putin’s immediate interests in the region, surely, are supported by a stable Syrian government. Large defense contracts with Assad, the domestic “rallying around the flag” effect during a period of low oil prices, maintenance of the Mediterranean naval base in Tartus, and a host of other factors are large incentives for Putin to support the Syrian government. However, once the dust has settled, many speculators wonder whether Russia’s support for the regime will have been worth the long-term international perception and strategic costs.
