The Russians have much better things to do with their Gas/oil money than blow it on propping up Assad. Like steal it and stick it in the west. The old regime was happy to waste resources on geopolitics. The kleptocrats not really.
And their gas/oil is a wasting asset, as alternate sources are popping up everywhere. Even Israel !
We don’t know what weapons the FSA really has. Our visibility to what is going on is poor. And they don’t need RPG 22’s if the strategic problem can be solved by blowing up truck convoys.
This is guerilla war, the goal is not necessarily to meet the regime forces on equal terms, but to control the population and exhaust the other sides resources.
The regime on the other hand has to pacify the population sufficiently as to be able to demobilize without risk, as long term this scale of mobilization and destruction is not sustainable, both to the Syrian regime and its backers.
Much more difficult problem.
Let all the Muzzies kill each other off, hopefully Iran is sending their soldiers to battle with sticks, like they did against Iraq.
I watched a convoy of T-72s and BMPs roll through Aleppo. The only explosions I saw on the video were those originating from the barrels of the T-72s.
Assad isn't trying to "pacify" anyone. He's f'ing killing them!
The Russians may have better things to do, than prop up Assad, but if that is necessary to hold on to Tartus? They will prop up Assad.