Russia is struggling to contain a Syrian rebel offensive on Aleppo, as fighters make rapid progress towards the city centre.
Omer Ozkizilcik, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said that while Russia attempted to curb the offensive by targeting select locations in Idlib and other areas of northwestern Syria, its efforts were insufficient to halt the offensive.
“Russia is not a bystander, but we are likely witnessing the limits of the Russian military,” he said.
“The two-day performance of Russia indicates that much of its air force capability has been redeployed to Ukraine.”.
'The two-day performance of Russia indicates that much of its air force capability has been redeployed to Ukraine' - Omer Ozkizilcik, Atlantic Council.
“Reports from local sources on air activity show that Russia is primarily using older fighter jet models,” he added.
If the rebels continue to succeed, Mardasov believes there will be significant reputational costs for Russia. »
