![]() The Russian Defense Ministry reported in 2018 that 80 percent of its flight troops had served in combat in Syria. Four years later, Russia instituted its new VKS aerospace force and began testing new military operational methodologies and technical advances. Russia has stated support for the Assad regime since 2011, when Arab Spring uprisings began in Syria. ![]() Syria has long been a location of interest for Russia. From the Tartus naval base in Syria, Russia could easily target the the American carrier strike group in the Mediterranean. The exercises specified for Syria were also intended to be practice in targeting enemy warships. Russia announced on January 20 that its entire naval fleet would stage various exercises, involving over 10,000 servicemen, dozens of fighter jets, and over 140 warships. The deployment of these jets is a part of Russia's campaign to showcase its military strength amid rising tensions with Ukraine. According to the Associated Press, this is the largest presence of the Russian military in the Middle East since the end of the Cold War. These exercises will be overseen by the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus on February 15. The jets deployed were both MiG-31K fighter jets containing hypersonic Kinzhal missiles and long-range Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bombers, intended to be used in military exercieses in the East Mediterranean. ![]() Russia has been involved in the Syrian civil war since 2015, when Russia first sent military strikes to Syria to aid the Assad regime. ![]() As part of planned naval exercises, Russia sent multiple fighter jets to its Khmeimim Air Base in Syria on February 15. ![]()
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