Russian Troops Start Fighting In Syria After ‘Unprecedented’ Military Buildup

Just a few days after a warning from John Kerry, Russian troops have engaged in fighting in Syria, according to anonymous sources. The troops are supporting long-time Russian ally Bashar al-Assad, all while American allies continue to support rebel forces.

According to two unnamed sources cited by Reuters, Russian troops are now engaged in combat operations alongside Syrian government forces. As one source put it, “the Russians are no longer just advisors.”

“The Russians have decided to join the war against terrorism.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry talked to his Russian counterpart for the second time in four days about the issue.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Kerry’s previous phone call was made public in a statement. The secretary insisted that an increased military buildup in Syria would risk further instability and loss of life.

Fox News now reports that military buildup is “unprecedented,” saying it is starting to look like Crimea before Putin annexed the Ukrainian region.

Nevertheless, Reuters’s sources claim that the military engagement is small so far.

U.S. officials say the Russian military has deployed two tank landing ships and some additional cargo aircraft to Syria, along with some troops from the naval infantry forces.

Their immediate intentions are unclear, but some officials speculate that they’re preparing an airfield for future air combat missions.

Vladimir Putin recently admitted that the military was increasingly involved in the war, but shied away from saying the troops were engaged in combat missions.

Likewise, the government has insisted that the Assad regime needs to be incorporated into the fight against ISIS (also known as ISIL or the Islamic State).

White House spokesman Eric Schultz said that would not be acceptable.

“We would welcome constructive Russian contributions to the counter-ISIL effort, but we’ve been clear that it would be unconscionable for any party, including the Russians, to provide any support to the Assad regime.”

According to MSN, the Russians might need to act fast, since their ally is losing territory. Last Wednesday, government forces lost control of a major airbase, taking away their last presence in the Idlib province. The loss was just one of many military failures for the regime.

The complicated four-year war has killed 250,000 and displaced millions more.

The resulting exodus has created a refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East, which is compounded by people fleeing ISIS in Iraq. Many countries have stepped up to take in the refugees, but for now Russian officials have the opposite strategy — sending people, particularly troops, into Syria.

[Image Credit: Getty Images]