Possibly the discovery of gas and oil in Israel over the last few years had something to do with it, because that threatens Russia’s market in Europe. The Russian economy is not in the greatest shape and they depend on the European market, plus arms sales to Iran.
In Ezekiel 38, it talks about the attackers coming to take a spoil.
It could be a factor. The Russian share of the EU oil market is about 45%, the Gulf States about 35%, Norway (which is not in the EU) about 15% and the other 5% is mostly (believe it or not) the US. Trying to run a corporate state ain't cheap, as the gangster Putin has discovered. Entering Syria has been a loser for his 'business', as his weapons sales are likely to decline. His agreement with the Saudis and Iranians for production stability won't buy him enough time, as he can't modernize his recovery methods on the old fields.