They're there to deter Western aggression...no more Christmas Eve sneak attacks on Damascus!
Last week’s Israeli attack was in the Aleppo region north of Damascus - the Russian S-300-400 batteries sat it out again.
The SS-26 is a SCUD replacement and is of 1970s tech adopted by the Russians 12 years ago. Designed to hit small high value targets.
“The launch carrier vehicle carries two missiles, rather than one. And each missile can be independently targeted, in a matter of seconds. The missiles can be retargeted during flight not only against fixed targets, but also against moving targets, such as a tactical missile launcher, a tank column, or a convoy. The Iskander has another unique feature: the optically guided warhead can also be controlled by a coded radio signal, including from an AWACS or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This provides a self-homing capability. The missile’s onboard computer receives an image or images of the target. Then the missile, by locking on the target with its sights, will travel towards it at supersonic speed.”
https://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/ss-26.htm