Putin could have sent more firepower — but he didn't
There's no doubt the toppling of the Assad regime significantly weakens Vladimir Putin's Middle East power
But it's also clear that Russia was wary of getting caught up in another decades-long conflict It also has other strategic relationships with Türkiye and the Arab Gulf states that it perhaps didn't want to sacrifice for a dying regime
In the lead-up to the collapse, Russia did launch air strikes on Syrian rebels in support of the Syrian Arab Armed Forces but not enough to counter the rebel advances on the capital, Damascus
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Assad's own men put up no fight and abandoned their posts
If Putin had really wanted to, he could have sent in more military firepower — but he didn't
In fact, ABC News Australia VERIFY confirmed Russia moved key military assets away from their posts, in Syria earlier this month
