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When they arrived, there were fears that government forces were close
to collapse.
Military 'success'
But what exactly were Russia's goals in intervening in the first place?
Russia, of course, has had a strategic relationship with Syria going back
to Soviet days.
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It has long maintained a small naval base on the Syrian coast and has
close ties with the Syrian military, being its principal arms supplier.
While it is Russian air power that has been the main focus of news
reporting on the Russian intervention, it is as much the intensified
training and re-equipping of the Syrian army that has also been a crucial
factor in helping to turn around President Assad's fortunes.
That is not to say, though, that Russian and Syrian military goals are
identical.
While the Syrian government insists it still wants to recapture all the
territory it has lost, Moscow's approach, according to Michael Kofman of
the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute, is very different.
Image copyrightLOUAI BESHARA/AFP/GETTY IMAGESImage caption
Russia's commitment to its relationship with Syria has been central to its
intervention
"Unlike Syria and Iran, Russia has no interest in fighting for territory," he
says.
"Ultimately, the Russian goal is to lock in gains for Syria via ceasefires,
while slow-rolling the negotiations to the point that true opposition to the
Syrian regime expires on the battlefield, leaving no viable alternatives
for the West in this conflict come 2017.
Testing ground
The Russian air force has deployed some of its most modern aircraft to
Syria, though the same cannot be said for the munitions they employ.
The Russian air campaign overall has relied upon the use of "dumb
bombs" of various types, a major distinction with modern Western air
campaigns, where almost all of the munitions used are precision-guided.
Im
age copyrightPAUL GYPTEAU/AFP/GETTY IMAGESImage caption
The Russian military has deployed many weapons systems to Syria
Russian special forces and artillery have been engaged on the ground.
Even Russia's only aircraft carrier is now on its way to the region.
Diplomatic advantage
The diplomatic consequences of the Russian intervention have also been
a plus for Moscow.
Its active military role in the region has reshaped its relationships with
Israel, Iran and Turkey.
Israeli air operations against the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah,
for example, have not been hindered by Russian control of significant
parts of Syrian air space.
Relations between Moscow and Tehran (Syria's only other significant ally)
have developed, and even the enmity between Moscow and Ankara has
been diminished, with both countries realising they have to
accommodate - at least to an extent - the other's regional aims.
Im
age copyrightALEXEI DRUZHININ/AFP/GETTY IMAGESImage caption
Syria has seen the United States reassess its relationship with Moscow
This made Washington revise its own approach and pursue what has
largely proved an illusory effort, to develop some kind of partnership
with Russia.
The United States was compelled not just to deal with Russia as a
diplomatic equal but also to shift its own stance towards the Assad
government to one - that for all the obfuscation - falls well short of its
long-time insistence that President Assad had to go, as the essential pre-
condition for any negotiated settlement.
Mr Kofman says: "The Kremlin has skilfully managed how the Russian
public sees this intervention.
"Domestic politics constrains Russia just as much, if not more so, than
the limitations of its military capabilities.
"Given the woeful state of the economy, Russian leaders have always
been concerned that Syria would come to be viewed as an undue
burden."
But the overall level of casualties appears to have been limited, and
news of combat deaths (like those among Russian forces in eastern
Ukraine) is restricted - another reason why there has been no domestic
backlash against the Syrian adventure.
Image copyrightBRIAN SMITH/AFP/GETTY IMAGESImage caption
Will Russia attempt to secure a political settlement for Syria at the
conference table?
Put it another way, is there any clear exit strategy for Russia that might
enable it to bank its gains and end its losses?
"Such gains are readily lost and can prove illusory," he says.
"Russian leadership knows that this could take years and would rather
cut a deal while possessing the military advantage."