Russia sends new arms to Syria amid speculation over its aims

Syria said on Sept.22 it has received sophisticated new arms from Russia, including warplanes, and deployed them against jihadists, amid signs Moscow is readying a direct role in its ally's war.

The news came as a leading defence publication said Russia appeared to be preparing two bases for troops, but US Secretary of State John Kerry said the build-up may be purely defensive.
 
A senior military official told AFP Damascus had received new weaponry, including at least five fighter jets.
 
The deliveries came amid a Russian build-up in Syria, with US officials saying it had deployed 28 combat planes and begun drone flights.
 
The civil war has taken on a new dimension with the boosting of Moscow's military presence, raising deep concerns in Washington.
 
Robert Munks, editor of IHS Jane's Intelligence Review, said satellite imagery showed two sites near Latakia airport, in Assad's traditional heartland, "may be preparing to receive Russian forces".
 
Munks also noted a "substantial increase" in jets at Latakia airport, saying it pointed to a "rapid build-up of Russia's expeditionary force".
 
"With a significantly enhanced ground-attack capability, this represents a substantial step-change in Russia's combat ability."  

The Syrian official said Damascus had also received "sophisticated military equipment to fight ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]," including targeting equipment and precision-guided missiles.
 
The weapons had already been deployed against ISIL in the cities of Deir Ezzor and Raqa, the jihadist group's de facto capital.
 
"Russian weapons are starting to have an effect in Syria," the official said.
 
Kerry noted that while Russia had...