According to the report, Russia’s Defense Ministry says such joint patrols are expected to be a regular occurrence moving forward.
The news comes amid tensions along the Russia-Ukraine border as Western powers scramble to counter an implied threat by Russian President Vladimir Putin
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...to invade the neighboring country.
Putin is considered one of few allies of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir
Pencilneckal-Assad
Leveler of Latakia...
, and Russia is seen as using its presence in the war-torn country to gain a foothold in the Middle East.
Israel’s close relations with Russia and Putin are often seen as linked to its close military coordination in Syria, in particular when the IDF carries out purported strikes on sites within Syria.
Russia joined Syria’s 10-year conflict in September 2015, when the Syrian military appeared close to collapse, and has since helped in tipping the balance of power in favor of Assad, whose forces now control much of the country. Hundreds of Russian troops are deployed across Syria and they also have a military air base along Syria’s Mediterranean coast.