Putin launches offensive: Russian parliament officially approves sending troops to Syria

The upper house of the Russian parliament has unanimously given formal permission to Vladimir Putin to use the Russian army to fight against the Islamic State in Syria, alongside the Syrian government and Bashar al-Assad, RT reports, as stated by the Patria News Agency.

The aforementioned permission was crucial for sending troops to a foreign country, according to the Russian constitution. Recently, Russia sent modern and sophisticated weapons to the Syrian government, as well as instructors to teach Syrians how to use them. 

This development comes after Moscow has significantly intensified its involvement in events in Syria and established a military communication center with Damascus, Baghdad, and Tehran, based in Iraq.

President Putin called for resistance against terrorists in Syria a few days ago, which would include assisting Bashar al-Assad. Western nations, however, want to exclude Assad from the equation. A few years ago, France, Great Britain, and the USA did not want to confront Assad, writes Index.