Seems like there is some truth to this. Russia moving heavy combat air out. They want stability in the region and keeping their bases and oil deals intact. . Lots of, for the want of a better expression, balkanization, talk going on. With the Kurds gaining a semi autonomous region. Might turn into some kind of federation ?
The Russian boots-on-the-ground was bound to happen sooner or later, if Putin remained in power; the final straw wasn't the oil price crash, it was the US surrender deal with Iran's mullahcracy. Before sending in the troops, the Russians had to figure an endgame or out plan for themselves.
The outcome is, a Russian presence and influence in Armenia (something the US should have been doing), a longterm commitment by them to help build a Kurdish state (something the US should have been doing) -- each of those policies run counter to Iranian interests -- and only a short-term improvement in Assad's situation, and no real improvement to oil prices.
About 15 years ago, OPEC started to do its defacto pricing in Euros, in order to keep oil price-stable in Europe, a market that is 45 percent supplied by Russia; obviously that was to hold on to market share and make fine German cars affordable in the ME. During that interval, Putin's been trying to rebuild the old evil empire, financing it off $100+/bbl oil, in the aftermath of 9/11 in the US.