“Damascus is the “Stalingrad” of Russian diplomacy. After years of geopolitical withdrawal, Moscow has chosen Syria as a way to revive its image of power in the world. “Not one step back” is the Kremlin’s new strategy, as it was for the Red Army along the banks of the Volga river during World War II.
To be more convincing, the Kremlin has simultaneously flexed its muscles by supplying sophisticated weapons to Syria. The undeclared objective is to prevent the West from establishing a no-fly zone or a naval blockade of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, as was done for Moammar Gadhafi’s Libya. The presence of Russian ships patrolling waters near the Russian naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus indicates that the Kremlin is serious… ”
Article  – Giuseppe D’Amato The Moscow Times – June 5^th, 2013.