By: Harleen Kaur
Earlier this month Russia increased its bombing campaign in Syria, more than doubling the number of strikes than was seen at the beginning of the operation. On October 12, The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that they sent out 55 sorties in 24 hours hitting provinces such as Homs, Hama, Latakia, Idlib and Raqqa. Compared to the numbers of the previous two weeks that had been around two dozen the Russians more than doubled their numbers. Russian warplanes have also been supporting the offensive troops of those loyal to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Russian government also sees the Islamic State as a direct threat to their citizens. A statement on Interfax states earlier this month Russian officials had prevented an attack on a public transportation in Moscow and some of the captives had been trained in Islamic State camps in Syria.
European foreign officials called for an end to these attacks by saying that they would only prolong the war. Some also worry that the airstrikes may cause conflict between US and Russian aircrafts in the Middle East. The issue has ushered criticism from NATO who are questioning Russia’s true intentions.
Putin defended sending warplanes into Syria by saying, “Our task is to stabilize the legal government and create the right conditions for reaching a political compromise. We have no desire to recreate an empire and resurrect the Soviet Union.”
