Russian Perspectives on Syrian Military Reform

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Other

Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Russian Perspectives on Syrian Military Reform

Russia faces opportunities and challenges as it seeks to restructure and reform the Syrian armed forces, which it sees as a key to concluding the civil war on terms favorable to the Assad regime, containing Iranian involvement, and winding down Russia’s combat role.

By Yezid Sayigh

Published on Mar 26, 2020

As many great powers have found when intervening to support the military of a client state, Russian expectations in Syria have not been entirely met. The lessons that Russia has learned, both positive and negative, speak to the complexity of the situation on the ground in Syria, and to the ever-shifting character of modern warfare. Russian officials keep their cards close to their chest, but this dossier explores what is known about the perceptions and perspectives they bring to the task of standing up the Syrian Arab Army.

Syrian Politics Trump Russian Military Reforms, Yezid Sayigh

The Efficiency of the Syrian Armed Forces: An Analysis of Russian Assistance, Anton Lavrov

Russia and Syrian Military Reform: Challenges and Opportunities, Alexey Khlebnikov

Russia’s Role in Reforming Syrian Special Services, Kirill Semenov

About the Author

Yezid Sayigh

Senior Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Yezid Sayigh is a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where he leads the program on Civil-Military Relations in Arab States (CMRAS). His work focuses on the comparative political and economic roles of Arab armed forces, the impact of war on states and societies, the politics of postconflict reconstruction and security sector transformation in Arab transitions, and authoritarian resurgence.

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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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