Agreed but this statement:
They commenced current Syrian operations more of necessity than desire.
...is not all true.
Russia needed to “help” Syria in order to establish a foothold (and at least 2 big bases) in Syria.
She also needed a proving grounds for all her weapons system developed since 1980.
She has succeeded in both.
Just as Nazi Germany needed Spain in 1936 to test out her weapons of war, so too, Putin needs Syria to do the same.
Well, that is true, but must be examined over a considerably longer timeline than we are considering here. Please let me expand.
After WWII Soviet Russia did intend to acquire warm water ports in both the Med (Syria) and the Persian Gulf (Iran) by whatever means necessary. To this end Communist operatives subverted the Western friendly Iranian Monarchy, and attempted largely unsuccessful (due to British divide and control foresight) similar operations in the Middle East.
The Muslim Brotherhood was plaguing Syria (and Egypt), and The US did not undermine the strong responses of Assad senior or the Egyptian Presidents and Military.
The US (CIA) understanding the importance of landlocking warm water Soviet Russia and maintaining facilities bordering on the Soviet Union, implemented the reinstatement of the Iranian Monarchy, and attracted Turkey with economic perks and commerce with Western Europe and the US.
Soviet Russia was frustrated most places except Syria who was getting little help against the Muslim Brotherhood, and at the dawn of the 70's Soviet Russia and Syria struck an agreement to build Soviet naval bases in Syria.
By 1978, Carter's failure to support the anti Communist Shah of Iran caused the Communists to retake control of the government. They lasted two weeks but the Islamic terrorists that took over immediately agreed to Soviet Russian aid and Soviet naval bases.
These are the Russian bases that make your statement true, and they were effectively complete and fully operational by 1985, under the USSR and Soviet Russian military joint operations with the host nations.
I would note that the Soviet political direction and the Soviet military charge and goals are more than significantly different than those of the Russian Federation and Military.
Now let's move forward to the 1990's and the Newly formed Russian Federation, and that management of Russian bases on foreign soil. It would be fair to say that the Russians work hard to keep them, but there is little expansion and moderate upgrading, until the destabilizing disaster of Obama's presidency and his "Arab Spring".
It would be reasonable to consider the expansion of other nations foreign soil bases to those of the Russian Federation for an overall picture, as well.
The considerable time lag between when Russia acquired these operational bases and when they used them in military combat speaks to more necessity than desire.
She also needed a proving grounds for all her weapons system developed since 1980.
It is true that Russia tested real world performance of her new weapons, but was it even possible to NOT test them, and was it actually Russia that provided the "proving ground" or was it those that empowered ISIS and let them loose in the Middle East?