Russian military power will be tested in Syria gamble
Keyword(s):
To Come
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Significance Recent days have seen dangerous and uncoordinated Russian action with violations of Turkish airspace as well as missile strikes directed from the Caspian Sea. Impacts Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies opposed to Assad are likely to increase support to Syrian rebels, forcing Moscow to escalate further. Western intelligence agencies are likely to come under greater parliamentary scrutiny for perceived failures to predict Kremlin thinking. While the threat remains long term, the immediate military risk to Ukraine has lowered as Russia needs to focus on Syria. The risk to civilian aircraft could grow if Russia uses increasingly reckless tactics from the Caspian Sea.