DefenceTalkMoscow: Russian jets struck five more Islamic State targets in Syria on Thursday, the defence ministry said, as the country continued its air strikes against the extremist group. “Russian Sukhoi Su-24M and Sukhoi Su-25M conducted eight flights to strike five IS targets,” defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov was quoted by RIA Novosti state news agency […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russian-jets-strike-five-more-isis-targets-govt-65527/

DefenceTalkUnited Nations: President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia had not ruled out air strikes in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s forces in their battle against jihadist rebels. “We are thinking about it. We don’t rule anything out. But if we are to act it will only be fully respecting international legal norms,” he […]https://www.defencetalk.com/putin-does-not-rule-out-russian-strikes-in-syria-65495/

DefenceTalkUnited Nations: France carried out its first air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria on Sunday, launching a military operation as Russia and Western powers sought the upper hand in shaping the future of the war-torn country. President Francois Hollande said six French warplanes hit an IS training camp near the eastern city […]https://www.defencetalk.com/france-carries-out-first-air-strikes-on-is-in-syria-65482/

DefenceTalkDamascus: The Syrian military for the first time on Wednesday deployed drones supplied by Russia for its fight against jihadists, a security source in Damascus said. “For the first time, the army today used drones received from Moscow in operations against extremists in the north and east of the country,” the source said, without elaborating […]https://www.defencetalk.com/syria-deploys-russian-drones-for-first-time-65476/

DefenceTalkMoscow: Russia’s defence ministry on Thursday said it will hold naval drills in the “east Mediterranean” in September and October, as the West frets over a military buildup by Moscow in Syria. The exercises include three warships from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, including the Saratov landing ship, the Moskva guided missile cruiser and the Smetlivy […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-announces-naval-drills-in-east-mediterranean-65474/

DefenceTalkDamascus: Syria said Tuesday it had received sophisticated new arms from Russia including warplanes and deployed them against jihadists, as signs grew of a major shift in the country’s four-year conflict. A senior Syrian military official told AFP Damascus had received a fresh batch of arms, including at least five fighter planes, while a monitoring […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-sends-new-arms-as-signs-grow-of-shift-in-syria-war-65465/

DefenceTalkRussia has sent artillery units and seven tanks to a Syrian air base as part of Moscow’s continued military buildup in the war-ravaged nation, a US official said Monday. The increase of Russian hardware in Syria has caused concerns in the West about the implications of Moscow militarily helping its old ally, President Bashar al-Assad. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-tanks-artillery-syria-65401/

DefenceTalkAustralian aircraft have completed their first operation in Syria, defence officials said Saturday, just days after Canberra extended the mission from Iraq to better fight Islamic State jihadists. “The Australian Air Task Group completed its first operational mission in Syria overnight, returning to base in the Middle East without incident,” the defence department said in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/australian-aircraft-complete-first-mission-in-syria-65383/

DefenceTalkMoscow: A defiant Russia on Thursday said it was ready to increase military support to Syria’s Bashar al-Assad if needed, dismissing suggestions it could hamper Western efforts to fight Islamic State militants. Washington has accused Moscow of solidifying its foothold in Syria, raising concerns it could throw a wrench in plans by the US-led coalition […]https://www.defencetalk.com/defiant-russia-pledges-more-syria-assistance-65349/

DefenceTalkPhotos allegedly showing Russian soldiers, reports of military deliveries and overflight requests are swelling fears among the United States and its allies that Russia is covertly bolstering the Syrian regime. Moscow, an ally of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, has had a military presence in the country since the Soviet era. Though traditionally confined to a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/reports-of-russian-military-build-up-in-syria-fuel-concern-65323/