The Syrian government on Tuesday confirmed the import of sophisticated weapons and fighter jets from Russia -- just as fresh satellite images purported to show the construction of two new Russian military bases in the northwest of the country.
A senior Syrian military official told AFP that the government had "taken delivery of at least five fighter planes from Moscow as well as reconnaissance aircraft which allow us to identify targets with great accuracy," boosting its ability to fight Islamic State militants.
Meanwhile, IHS Jane's Intelligence Review released images that apparently show the construction of the new Russian military facilities north of the Syrian port city of Latakia, near where Russia has built up an airbase.
The images, taken by Airbus Group in mid-September, show the construction of a weapons depot and military facility north of Latakia, suggesting that Russia is preparing to place forces in both places, according to IHS Jane's.
Russia has significantly boosted its support for Syrian president Bashar Assad in recent weeks, shipping some 2,000 military personnel and materiel, including powerful tanks, to the war-wracked country. More than 250,000 people have been killed in Syria over the course of the four-and-a-half-year-long civil war.
U.S. officials have said in recent days that Russia now has 28 fighter jets stationed in the country, and that the country has also begun flying drones.
#BREAKING Russian jets in Syria at a level to protect own base, US Secretary of State John Kerry says— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) September 22, 2015
A Russian soldier was cited by the Kommersant newspaper on Monday saying that the number of Russian military specialists in Tartus, where it maintains a military facility, had recently swelled to 1,700.
Another satellite image released Tuesday appeared to show a new fuel dump and logistics park, purportedly constructed with Russia's help, as well as 16 jet fighters at the Latakia base.
New from @AllSourceA. Assad Airbase #Latakia. Possible new fuel dump, new logistics park, and 12 SU-25s+4 SU-30s. pic.twitter.com/tuDFbJGASE— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) September 21, 2015
While Russia and Syria have said the fresh Russian military support is to combat ISIS, observers say the main reason is to shore up the Assad regime -- a Russian ally which has lost ground to the militant group in recent months.
"Clearly [Putin] would like to shore up his ally, Bashar al-Assad," David Petraeus, the retired U.S. general and former Central Intelligence Agency director, reportedly told U.S. senators during a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting on Tuesday.
The new weapons appear already to be making a difference.
"Russian weapons are starting to have an effect in Syria," the Syrian military official said, according to AFP.
"In the past two weeks there has been a noticeable increase in the accuracy and frequency of air force strikes," a Syrian army special forces officer told The Guardian.
Russia has long-established ties with Assad's government. But the increase in support marks a significant and worrisome development, U.S. officials say. It also threatens to worsen relations between Russia and the U.S. Those relations are already strained due to Moscow's aggression in Ukraine, particularly the annexation of Crimea, and the U.S and European Union sanctions imposed on Russia as a result.