Moscow admits that Russian military personnel are in Syria, shrugs

Russian troops are in Syria. Why?
(Image credit: Twitter/@ForeignPolicy)

On Wednesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry gave the first official confirmation that Russian military personnel are on the ground in Syria — something Western intelligence had already determined from Russian transport aircraft flights and selfies and social media posts from Russian soliders. Russia said that its military experts are in the country to help combat terrorism by training and supplying the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Moscow ally.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.