Moscow building up forces in Syria: report

Russia has built up its forces in Syria since a ceasefire collapsed in late September, sending in troops, planes and advanced missile systems, a Reuters analysis of publicly available tracking data shows.

The data points to a doubling of supply runs by air and sea compared to the nearly two-week period preceding the truce. It appears to be Russia's biggest military deployment to Syria since President Vladimir Putin said in March he would pull out some of his country's forces.

The increased manpower probably includes specialists to put into operation a newly delivered S-300 surface-to-air missile system, military analysts said.

The S-300 system will improve Russia's ability to control air space in Syria, where Moscow's forces support the government of President Bashar al-Assad, and could be aimed at deterring tougher US action, they said.

Reports said 10 Russian navy ships have gone through the Bosphorus en route to Syria since late September, compared with five in the 13-day period before the truce -- from Aug 27 to Sept 7.

That number includes The Mirazh, a small missile ship which a Reuters correspondent saw heading through the Bosphorus towards the Mediterranean yesterday. Two other Russian missile ships were deployed to the Mediterranean on Wednesday.

Troops and equipment are also returning to Syria by air, according to tracking data on website FlightRadar24.com.

Since the collapse of the ceasefire in September, acrimony between the United States and Russia has grown and Washington has suspended talks with Moscow on implementing the truce.

US officials told Reuters on Sept 28 that Washington had started considering tougher responses to the assault on Aleppo, including the possibility of air strikes on an Assad air base.

As diplomatic pressure grows, Russia yesterday said that a draft UN resolution for a truce in the Syrian city of Aleppo was unacceptable.

The UN Security Council was expected to vote today on a draft resolution that calls for an immediate truce in Aleppo, a no-fly zone and access for humanitarian aid.  Russia is expected to use its power of veto.

On Thursday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad offered fighters and their families an amnesty to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo under guarantee of safe passage to other parts of Syria held by the insurgents. However, rebels have told Reuters they do not trust Assad, and have said they believe such an agreement would be aimed at purging Sunni Muslims from eastern Aleppo.

The offer follows two weeks of the heaviest bombardment of the 5-1/2-year civil war, which has killed hundreds of people trapped inside Aleppo's eastern sector and torpedoed a US-backed peace initiative. More than 250,000 people are believed to be trapped in eastern Aleppo, facing severe shortages of food and medicine.

Meanwhile, Russia's parliament yesterday ratified Moscow's deal with Syria on its "indefinite" deployment of forces to the country, in a move seen as firming up its long-term presence.

The vast majority of legislators voted to approve the agreement -- signed between Moscow and Damascus in August 2015 -- that allowed Russia to establish its Hmeimim airbase to launch operations in support of its ally Bashar al-Assad's forces.