Russia has stepped up military presence in Syria. Moscow is actively training Syrian government forces and supplying military assistance to President Bashar Al-Assad's regime to help them fight rebels, a move that has alarmed the United States. Sources told Reuters that Syrian government forces were using "newly arrived" Russian fighter jets, helicopter gunships, ground forces, and artillery. The air strikes were accompanied by ground attacks. Russia's deployment of ground and air forces in Syria has more to do with protecting the Assad regime than fighting the Islamic State. But Russian troops will have to fight against the ISIS militants directly given the level of threat they pose to Assad. Robert Farley of the National Interest lists five Russian weapons that the Islamic State should fear. Russia has deployed Spetsnaz special forces in Syria The first on the... More