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ISW: Russian forces likely capture Kurakhove after two-month offensiveAfter deploying tens of thousands of troops and co...
27/12/2024

ISW: Russian forces likely capture Kurakhove after two-month offensive

After deploying tens of thousands of troops and conducting numerous armored assaults since mid-October, Russian forces have advanced to the settlement’s administrative boundaries.

isw russian forces likely capture kurakhove after two-month offensive kurakhove-map deploying tens thousands troops conducting numerous armored assaults since mid-october have established control over advancing settlement's administrative boundaries institute study

ISW: Russian forces likely capture Kurakhove after two-month offensiv

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in its 26 December report that Russian forces have likely seized control of Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast, following an intensive two-month offensive operation aimed at capturing the settlement and eliminating Ukrainian salient in the surrounding area.

According to geolocated footage from 24 and 25 December, Russian forces have advanced into western Kurakhove and reached a windbreak southwest of the settlement.

“ISW assesses that Russian forces have likely advanced to the administrative boundaries of Kurakhove and seized the settlement and the fields south of the settlement and north of Dalne,” the think tank wrote.

Russian military bloggers reported that elements of the Russian 5th Motorised Rifle Brigade (51st Combined Arms Army) have raised a flag over western Kurakhove. Additional forces, including the 51st CAA’s 110th and 114th motorised rifle brigades and the 20th and 150th motorised rifle divisions of the 8th CAA, Southern Military District, are reportedly attacking along the settlement’s northern and southern flanks.

Ukraine’s Khortytsia Group of Forces has acknowledged the loss of unspecified positions in the Kurakhove direction.

The captured settlement spans approximately 7.3 square kilometres. ISW notes that Russian forces intensified their offensive operations in mid-October 2024, with the first documented advances into the settlement occurring in late October 2024.

The Russian military reportedly deployed between 35,000 and 36,000 troops in the Kurakhove direction during recent months. These forces conducted numerous armoured assaults within and near Kurakhove, likely sustaining significant casualties and armoured vehicle losses during the operation.

Air Defence Aviation incidents: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, WorldA preliminary investigation confirms that the crash...
26/12/2024

Air Defence Aviation incidents: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, World

A preliminary investigation confirms that the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in Aktau was caused by a Russian missile fired by the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft system.

The missile was fired at Flight 8432, en route Baku-Grozny, while fighting off a drone attack in the skies over Grozny. The fragments of the missile fired at the plane hit the passengers and crew.
Government sources reported that the damaged plane was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite pilots’ requests for an emergency landing. Instead, it was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea to Aktau in Kazakhstan.

According to the data, the aircraft’s GPS navigation systems were suppressed along the entire flight path over the sea, probably due to the electronic warfare systems in operation. It was due to this circumstance that the plane disappeared from radar in Russian airspace.

The version of the plane being hit by an anti-aircraft missile explains the numerous small damages on the fuselage, similar to the missile’s impact. It also explains the holes in the interior of the cabin and the puncture wounds inflicted on the passengers prior to the crash.

The publication of these photos effectively confirms that these systems were active in the region at the time of the Flight 8432 downing.

A total of 38 people were killed in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, Kazakh Transport Minister Marat Karabayev said. Among them were seven Russians, 23 Azerbaijani citizens, and six Kazakh citizens.

Currently, the preliminary version of the Russian version, voiced by the Federal Air Transport Agency spokesman, is a loss of control that could have been caused by damage from a collision with birds.

“After the collision with the birds due to an emergency situation on board the aircraft, its commander decided to go to an alternate airfield—Aktau was chosen,” Artem Korenyako, the spokesman, stated.

Militarnyi previously reported that based on video footage taken by passengers, the plane was damaged in Russian airspace.

North Koreans are successfully countered in Kursk Oblast through advanced drone warfare tactics, exposing their combat r...
26/12/2024

North Koreans are successfully countered in Kursk Oblast through advanced drone warfare tactics, exposing their combat readiness and adaptability deficiencies.

Ukrainian drone pilots turn North Korean fire against themselves
23 December.

Here, the North Korean forces find themselves thrust into a conflict shaped by technologies and tactics far beyond their experience.

Their struggle to contend with the relentless presence of drones reveals a dangerous gap in preparedness, setting the stage for a harsh lesson in the realities of modern warfare.

After a week of relentless human wave assaults by the North Korean soldiers, they failed to achieve their primary goal of retaking a significant part of the Kursk Salient. Similarly, the Russians cannot present the limited gains as a victory, because it would mean admitting to the integration of foreign North Korean troops to fill their ranks, as domestic recruitment fails to compensate for the Russian losses.

The failure of the North Korean assaults can be largely attributed to their troops’ lack of experience with modern warfare and their inability to adapt.

North Korea’s decades of isolation from the outside world, with minimal external influence or exposure, have left its military doctrine severely outdated, rooted in strategies dating back to the Korean War over seventy years ago. One of their largest shortcomings has shown to be the inability to adapt to the unprecedented use of drones, which take a central role in modern Ukrainian combat operations.

Their limited understanding of advanced reconnaissance and precision strikes, made possible by Ukrainians’ extensive drone warfare, allowed Ukrainian forces to inflict devastating losses on every assault. As a result, North Korean units performed even worse than even the least capable Russian assault units.

During their initial assaults, North Korean forces failed to recognise drones as a serious threat, advancing slowly across open fields, underestimating the danger from the skies.

The soldiers did not attempt to manoeuvre or evade FPV drone strikes, while Ukrainian drone operators, skilled in targeting fast-moving troops, exploited their vulnerabilities. This lack of awareness made the North Koreans easy targets, with even inexperienced Ukrainian drone operators using single FPV drones to decimate large infantry formations.

After suffering heavy losses in their initial encounters with drones, North Korean commanders attempted to adapt by setting up observation points and instructing soldiers to listen for buzzing sounds and scan the skies.

However, these efforts had little impact on the Ukrainian drone operators, as the North Koreans lacked electronic warfare countermeasures or other advanced systems, leaving them vulnerable to continued drone strikes. Combat footage from the area shows North Korean soldiers repeatedly failing to protect themselves from drone strikes.

Instead of attempting to maneuver, take cover, or lie down to reduce exposure, the soldiers often panicked, and tried to shoot down the drones with small arms fire while standing in place. Ukrainian drone operators took advantage of this, and repeatedly maneuvered their drones right in between the confused troops, causing the North Korean to kill each other, as they tried and failed to shoot down the drones.

Additionally, the North Korean soldiers stationed themselves on the outer edges of forests, remaining bunched together instead of moving deeper into the woods. By doing so, they missed an opportunity to use the dense trees and terrain to disrupt drone signals, which could have reduced the effectiveness of Ukrainian strikes.

23/12/2024

Ukraine shows Europe, Eastern Europe, that people are much stronger against corruption, as fake elections as usually against Russia. Hybrid war is winning in Europe; Russia lost everything they wanted to have and what they had already.

Why don't Russian people demonstrate like this? I mean, they threaten Europe with World War 3; their soldiers don't get back to their homes. the economy, what a society this is. Are they afraid, or are they staying with propaganda? What is your opinion.?

21/12/2024

Thanks for joining our exclusive live broadcast. Feel free to share your questions and interact with other participants in the chat.

Georgia is a hyper-centralised state—if you want to change a light bulb in some villages, you need Ivanishvili’s permiss...
20/12/2024

Georgia is a hyper-centralised state—if you want to change a light bulb in some villages, you need Ivanishvili’s permission. The entire state administration is governed by this one-party rule. Plus, Ivanishvili’s personal wealth is significant—in 2015, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty research, he had assets worth 35% of Georgia’s national GDP.

People and the political class thought we were somehow immune to further Russification because the population is so pro-Western. For this reason, many small steps that ultimately led to state capture were overlooked.

This might be the single most successful Trojan horse takeover of a country through soft power, propaganda, and ambiguity.

The Georgian Dream always pretended to be pro-European because it’s impossible to rule Georgia otherwise, but they undermined the state and began unmasking themselves as pro-Russian increasingly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If not for the invasion, I think they would have continued with the low-intensity poisoning of Georgian society for many more decades.

EP: Why don’t you want to be under Russian rule?

Whataboutists say the West is imperialist, so what’s the difference between the West and Russia? One friend said that the difference is that “Russia makes you a public toilet.” It’s blatant, raw enslavement with no freedom, no democracy, no prosperity, and no quality of life. But the worst thing Russia does is twist mentality.

It’s not even about the quality of life—it’s about the slave mentality it instills in populations it controls. The Russian mentality, Soviet mentality, which are largely intertwined, goes against human nature. It makes people unfree.

What makes these protests different from past ones?

These protests are different in two key ways.

There’s nothing to look forward to anymore—no hope in elections because every subsequent election will be rigged. We’re not expecting any concessions; they need to be fully removed. Our demand is new elections, but we understand that for new elections to even be scheduled, the system needs to be broken. We need to overpower them through peaceful, nonviolent revolution.

By day 12, the protesters aren’t there to simply express emotions—they’re there to express their duty. They realise they have to be there until victory. It’s a very cool-headed, determined protest.

What are the stakes for Georgia and the rest of the world?

For Georgia, it’s everything — decades and generations of what Georgia will be like, whether Georgia will even be a country.

Simply existing on the map isn’t sufficient to guarantee independence.

We see this as our independence struggle. Russia might swallow us completely or destroy life for generations, forcing hundreds of thousands of Georgians to exit the country. Whoever is left behind will be enslaved, tortured, pressured, and brainwashed.
For the world, Russia sees us as gatekeepers of civic freedom in Europe and possibly Central Asia, definitely in the EU environment area. If people rose up against an autocratic government and failed to succeed and weren’t helped by Western partners with every possible legal means, many more autocrats and wannabe autocrats, especially in the EU enlargement area, would be emboldened to proceed with anti-democratic laws.

For example, when Georgia adopted the foreign agents law in late May, the pro-Russian president of the Republika Srpska entity inside Bosnia and Herzegovina immediately suspended the adoption of the same foreign agents law. He’s watching to see what political costs the Georgian people will pay before proceeding with more anti-democratic laws. And it’s not just Dodik in Srpska and Bosnia—there are many more autocrats watching.

What can partners do to help Georgia?

Our partners can impose sanctions and travel bans on regime members, their family members, and enablers. While the main fight is happening in Georgia and should be won by Georgians, the system isn’t yet fully consolidated, and there are cracks. Until they can further consolidate, we should defend these cracks through targeted sanctions.

Eventually, they will be sanctioned by Western governments anyway, so why not do it now when it can actually impact the outcome?

20/12/2024

My new video explores the deeply unsettling asymmetry at play in the conflict in Ukraine. It’s not just about weapons; it’s about strategy, resources, and the human cost.

I begin by illustrating the seemingly sacrificial nature of some military deployments, drawing a parallel with North Korean military practices, a place where soldiers may lack basic training and awareness of modern technologies like drones. I then compare this to the grim historical losses of Kursk, highlighting the pattern of sending soldiers into situations with a very low chance of success.

The video progresses to show the poor state of Russian military equipment—vehicles breaking down, showing the lack of maintenance and modern technology. The footage then contrasts this starkly with the precision and effectiveness of the Ukrainian army, displaying their skilled deployment of drone technology and other advanced weapons.

The core message is clear: Russia seems to be knowingly sending its forces into battles where casualties are exceedingly high. This reflects a disturbing disregard for the lives of their soldiers. This highlights not only the technological gap but also the strategic disparity and the moral implications of how this conflict is being waged.

Please watch the video and engage with this critical analysis. It’s important to understand the forces at play and the real cost of this conflict. [Link to your Video]

18/12/2024

Millions of people have been displaced from their homes, and thousands have been killed or injured. The Ukrainian military is fighting bravely to defend their country, but they are in need of our support.

In this video, we see Ukrainian soldiers in action, fighting to protect their homeland. They are risking their lives to defend their country, and we must do everything we can to support them.

I urge you to watch this video and share it with your friends and family. Let's show the world that we stand with Ukraine.

The strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people continue to inspire the world. These brave soldiers are on the front lines, defending their homeland with unwavering courage. Let us stand in solidarity with Ukraine and continue to support them in their fight for freedom.

Zelenskyy slams Orban over call with Russia’s Putin to discuss UkraineKyiv has long called for unity among its allies on...
18/12/2024

Zelenskyy slams Orban over call with Russia’s Putin to discuss Ukraine

Kyiv has long called for unity among its allies on isolating Putin and said discussions on the war must include Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for discussing the Ukraine war in a call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Orban, who has maintained closer ties with Putin than other European countries throughout Russia’s war in Ukraine, said on X that the pair’s phone call on Wednesday lasted an hour and that “these are the most dangerous weeks” of the war.

“No one should boost [their] personal image at the expense of unity,” Zelenskyy said on X.

“We all hope that Orban at least won’t call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well,” he added, referring to Russia’s decision to grant deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad political asylum.

Kyiv has repeatedly called for unity among its allies on isolating Putin and has said any discussions on the war must involve Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have also warned that a ceasefire in the 33-month-old war would benefit Moscow, as it could freeze current front lines with Russia holding about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.

Officials say the suspect in the killing of a Russian general is being held in Moscow.Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov w...
18/12/2024

Officials say the suspect in the killing of a Russian general is being held in Moscow.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed on Tuesday. He was in charge of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops.

On Wednesday, Russia's intelligence service said that it had arrested a person they think killed a top general in Moscow.

In Russia, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov was killed on Tuesday outside of a block of apartments about 7 km (4 miles) southeast of the Kremlin. He was in charge of the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops.

Russian state news service Tass said the bomb, which was thought to be in a scooter, was set off from a distance and had the power of about 300 grammes of TNT.

The scooter, which is where the bomb appears to have been hidden.

A few hours later, Ukraine said it was responsible for the bombing that killed Kirillov.

CNN, which is a US partner of ITV News, heard from someone who knew about the operation that Kirillov was a war criminal and a valid target because he gave orders to use banned chemicals against the Ukrainian military.

"Those who kill Ukrainians will have such an honorless end." People who commit war crimes will be punished.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is in charge of the Security Council, which is led by Dmitry Medvedev. On Tuesday, Medvedev promised that Kyiv "will face inevitable retribution" for the killing.

Medvedev told RIA Novosti this about Ukraine: "Knowing it will lose militarily, it launches cowardly and despicable strikes in peaceful cities."

At the site where Lt. General Igor Kirillov was killed by an explosive device that was set off near a Moscow apartment block, investigators are at work.

As of Tuesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the UK must "stand with the Ukraine," but he would not directly back the killing of Kirillov.

"We need to help Ukraine." I think that problem is getting worse. But the talk this morning made it very clear that NATO needs to stand with Ukraine at this very important time, which is what we are doing, he said.

"The collective view is very clear: we must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position. That means we have got to make sure they have got the capability they need, the training they need, the funding that they need."

NATO's leader warns of Russian aggression: "We are not ready for what is coming."

The SBU of Ukraine charged Kirillov on December 16 with using illegal chemical weapons during Russia's war with Ukraine. Ukraine says it killed a Russian general in a blast in Moscow.

Russian special forces called RKhBZ protect against nuclear, chemical, and biological threats. They work in areas that are contaminated with these substances.

Ukraine Uses a New Tryzub Laser That Can Shoot Down Aircraft The Tactical Engagement System's Weapon Laser Unit. In the ...
17/12/2024

Ukraine Uses a New Tryzub Laser That Can Shoot Down Aircraft

The Tactical Engagement System's Weapon Laser Unit. In the previous year's Laser Quest game, warriors equipped the Tactical Engagement System's weapon laser unit.

Ukraine declared that the new Tryzub laser has just been deployed.

Interfax-Ukraine reports that Ukraine has been using a new Tryzub (or "Trident" in Ukrainian) laser that can bring down an aeroplane. According to Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky, commander of the armed forces of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, the Tryzub laser can destroy aircraft at a height of little more than 1.2 miles, and authorities are now trying to increase the range.

The Significance of It The use of this new laser by Ukraine is noteworthy since it is crucial to its ongoing struggle with Russia in the development of new weapons.

Kyiv has had to come up with new defence strategies as the two nations' tensions have grown and more long-range weaponry have been used.

Sukharevsky pointed out that Ukraine is working on a number of new weaponry advancements, including the Tryzub laser and "mother" drones that hold two first-person view drones underneath them.

With these new weaponry, Ukraine can attack Moscow in a variety of ways.

The Tryzub laser is thought to have been made in Ukraine because the term tryzub means "trident," and a trident is a component of the Ukrainian coat of arms.

According to the publication Militarnyi, little is known about the Tryzub weapon's exact nature and features. But according to reports, the United Kingdom intended to ship the first DragonFire laser air defence system samples to Ukraine in April of this year.

The DragonFire laser air defence system was first created in 2018 by the U.K. firms MBDA UK, Leonardo UK, and QinetiQ Group. It has a power of over 50 kW and is still being tested.

According to former British Defence Minister Grant Shapps, the DragonFire laser air defence system, which is anticipated to be deployed in 2027, may be used to shoot down Russian drones.

Established less than six months ago, the Unmanned Systems Forces (UAS) serve along the frontline in scientific and combat groups that "cover the air, land, and water components," according to Sukharevsky.

17/12/2024

The "robotic combat complex on a tracked platform equipped with a Browning 12.7 mm machine gun - the Droid TW 12.7" has reportedly been approved for operation:

Is the Ukrainians' plan working at Pokrovsk?The Ukrainians have set up at least three, possibly even five, lines of defe...
17/12/2024

Is the Ukrainians' plan working at Pokrovsk?

The Ukrainians have set up at least three, possibly even five, lines of defence east and southeast of Pokrovsk and within the city. These positions are optimised for repelling a Russian advance from the southeast. However, if Russian troops manage to approach the city from the south and even from the southwest, this will significantly complicate the situation for the defenders.

Most likely, Ukraine will have to move reserves to the area south of Pokrovsk to stop the Russian encirclement attempt.
Further south, Russian forces advanced further into the city of Kurakhovo. Meanwhile, only some western parts of the settlements are still under Ukrainian control, while heavy fighting is taking place.

The third winter of war in Ukraine begins with a major Russian attack. The targets were again energy facilities, and people continue to suffer from a severe lack of electricity.
South of Kurakhove, Russia may have managed to encircle some Ukrainian units defending the villages of Gannivka and Romanivka.

The contours are not yet clear, but according to unofficial Ukrainian and also Russian sources, some smaller Ukrainian units began to retreat from there too late. Given the speed of the Russian advance, the “fog of war” here is likely to clear up in a few days at the latest.

Russian forces retake small areas in the Kursk region.
Russia's armed forces managed to retake small areas in the western part of the Kursk region, around Pleshkovo, south of Sudzh. The Russian advance here suggests that Moscow is likely to try to cut off the city from the Ukrainian border. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians repelled several attacks on other parts of the salient.

In the fight against Russia, Ukraine is under severe pressure and needs 160,000 new soldiers. But recruiting them is becoming increasingly difficult. The army is therefore screening citizens.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has retaken its positions in the Svatove area by liberating the destroyed village of Kopanki. This means that the Russian efforts to encircle the Ukrainian defenders west of the Zherebets River in this sector have probably been stopped.
Massive Russian attack on energy system

On December 12-13, Russia carried out another massive wave of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. In total, more than 200 different missiles were fired, including hypersonic missiles. Although the Ukrainian air defence was again very efficient, especially against the drones and cruise missiles—80 drones were shot down and another 105 were disabled by electronic warfare—some missiles still made it through.

According to the Ukrainian president, Moscow is relying on foreign help in the Kursk border area. Heavy fighting is taking place along the entire front. The overview.

Damage assessment is still ongoing. According to reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), five of Ukraine's nine operating nuclear reactors have had to throttle back their output due to damage to the power grid.

Dr. András Rácz...
Ukraine strikes at Russia's military infrastructure.
Ukraine also continued its heavy attacks in Russia. During the night of December 11, it hit an oil storage facility in the Bryansk region.

The storage facility reportedly served to store and distribute fuel for the Russian military operation in Ukraine. The attacks caused a major fire. In addition, Ukraine has also hit the 325th aircraft repair plant in Taganrog in the Russian region of Rostov. There are no images available yet to assess the damage.

Ukrainian intelligence kills Russian military engineer
A key Russian military engineer, Mikhail Shatsky of the “Mars” design bureau, which belongs to Rosatom, was assassinated in the Moscow region. According to Ukrainian official sources, Shatsky was involved in the modernisation of the Kh-59 cruise missile and other projects, including the development of AI-based drone guidance systems. Ukrainian military intelligence HUR claimed responsibility for the killing.

US approves $226 million support package for Ukraine’s F-16sThe $266 million Foreign Military Sale was approved by the P...
16/12/2024

US approves $226 million support package for Ukraine’s F-16s

The $266 million Foreign Military Sale was approved by the Pentagon to boost the country’s F-16 fighter jets.

Poland signs for MQ-9B SkyGuardian Poland signs for MQ-9B
Data Link Solutions awarded a deal worth up to $1 billion for tactical radio systems. Data Link Solutions awarded a deal worth up to $1 billion for tactical radio systems.

The US State Department has approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Ukraine for F-16 maintenance equipment and support, according to an announcement from the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

The US$226 million contract includes joint Mission Planning software, minor modifications and maintenance support, spare and repair parts, software, personnel training, and training equipment.

The sale would help to “improve Ukraine’s capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defence and regional security missions with a more robust air defence capability,” the DSCA said.

The main contractors for the work will be Sabena, Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney.

Ukraine confirmed the arrival of the F-16 jets in August 2024, with the country’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming the jets were operational. So far, the Netherlands and Denmark have supplied the F-16 jets, with more promised from Norway and Belgium.

Zelenskyy confirmed on 7 December 2024 that Ukraine had received its second batch of jets from Denmark.

So the time come for the airfighter; France sends Mirage. It doesnt look like, anyone want to negotiate.

16/12/2024

Artur Rehi, a great influencer on Youtube explain the situation in Ukraine and Russia

07/12/2024

Ukraine News Update

Damascus and Assad now in SyriaOpposition fighters have taken over Hama, a major city on the road to the capital, Damasc...
07/12/2024

Damascus and Assad now in Syria

Opposition fighters have taken over Hama, a major city on the road to the capital, Damascus

The speed with which the status quo in Syria - however unresolved and unsatisfactory - has been turned on its head in recent days has been extraordinary.

Syrian government officials and supporters were still asserting the army would hold the line at Hama, even as insurgent fighters were entering the city.

Shortly afterwards, the Syrian military acknowledged that it had pulled out of Hama, ceding control of the city for the first time to rebel factions.

After capturing two major cities within a week, the next target for the insurgents led by the Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is Homs.

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing the city in anticipation of what looks likely to be the next major battle.

The stakes have risen precipitously for President Bashar al-Assad and his key backers, Russia and Iran.

Homs is strategically considerably more significant than either Aleppo or Hama. It straddles a crossroads that leads west to the heartland of support for the Assad dynasty and south towards the capital, Damascus.

A map showing the latest territorial control assessments in Syria
Whatever the previous strategy of HTS may have been, as it spent years building its power base in the north-western province of Idlib, the momentum of the past week now seems to be leading inexorably towards a direct challenge to the continuing rule of Assad.

In an interview with CNN, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani confirmed the rebels do indeed aim to overthrow the Assad regime

So, attention is now focusing on whether the Syrian leader has the capacity to see off this renewed attempt to topple him from power.

The Syrian army - which is largely made up of conscripts - might have lost the war years ago if outside forces had not come to Assad's aid.

Soldiers are underpaid, under-equipped and often have poor morale, with desertion having long been an issue.

As his military failed to hold Aleppo and then Hama, Assad issued an order raising soldiers' salary by 50% - but that in itself is unlikely to turn the tide.
Russian planes backed up Syrian forces in Hama, but clearly not strongly enough to make an impact.

The lack of all out Russian military support has fuelled speculation that Moscow may be less able to play the game changing role that it performed in Syria in 2015. That would be down to almost three years of war in Ukraine, draining its reserves of manpower and military hardware.

But Russia still has compelling reasons to stay the course with Assad. President Putin's decisive, full-scale military intervention, which kept the Syrian leader in power when he was close to defeat, showed up the failure of Western allies - the US in particular - to honour their promises of support to the rebels.

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