How Russian special forces are shaping the fight in Syria

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Russian troops are nothing new to the Syrian ground war. Since their arrival in September, the Russians have used naval infantry to secure a key port in Tartus and the perimeter of an airfield in Latakia. But Russian special forces operating on the front — aside from a small number of artillery and tank units — have remained mostly out of the public eye. With the seizure of Palmyra, though, that is no longer the case. Russian officials announced Monday that Palmyra was “liberated with participation of Spetsnaz and military advisers.” The Islamic State took Palmyra in May and shortly after partially destroyed a number of the city’s historic sites.

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But Russia’s involvement in ground operations has not been without its cost. Just days prior to Russia’s announcement that Spetsnaz forces helped liberate Palmyra, the Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed Russian official who said a special forces soldier died “heroically,” after calling airstrikes onto his own position after he was surrounded by the Islamic State. Following the announcement of the soldier’s death, the story went viral.

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