![Palestinian supporters of the Islamist movement Hamas wave their flag and a pre-Baath Syrian flag (C) during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Hebron on November 21, 2012, against the ongoing Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip. Israel launched its offensive on November 14 with the targeted killing of a Hamas military chief. Since then, 147 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed. AFP PHOTO/HAZEM BADER (Photo credit should read HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/01-1/GettyImages-156793141.jpg/GettyImages-156793141.jpg?itok=AQlg_lMu)
Anton Mardasov is a military affairs expert and journalist focusing on Syria, Iraq and extremist organizations. He is also a non-resident expert at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and also writes about Syria as a non-resident scholar in Middle East Institute's Syria Program. On Twitter: @anton_mardasov
![Palestinian supporters of the Islamist movement Hamas wave their flag and a pre-Baath Syrian flag (C) during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Hebron on November 21, 2012, against the ongoing Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip. Israel launched its offensive on November 14 with the targeted killing of a Hamas military chief. Since then, 147 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed. AFP PHOTO/HAZEM BADER (Photo credit should read HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/01-1/GettyImages-156793141.jpg/GettyImages-156793141.jpg?itok=AQlg_lMu)
![A Russian Military convoy drives near the village of Ein Diwar in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on October 11, 2020. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/12/GettyImages-1229009806.jpg/GettyImages-1229009806.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=20rYpYoS)
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Anton Mardasov
![Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during the keel laying ceremony for the two new frigates Admiral Amelko and Admiral Chichagov at the Severnaya (Northern) Verf shipyard in Saint Petersburg on April 23, 2019. (Photo by Alexei Druzhinin / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo credit should read ALEXEI DRUZHININ/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/11/GettyImages-1138906563.jpg/GettyImages-1138906563.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=puJ5u-48)
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Anton Mardasov
![Syrians take part in the funeral of 10 fighters with the Turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham rebel faction in Syria, in the northwestern city of Idlib, on October 26, 2020, following their death in a Russian air strike. - Air strikes by Syrian regime ally Russia killed 78 fighters from the turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham faction when they targeted a training camp in the Jabal Duwayli area in Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. (Photo by Mohammed AL-RIFAI / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED AL-RIFAI/AF](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/10/GettyImages-1229290612.jpg/GettyImages-1229290612.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=soaNRvgi)
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Anton Mardasov
![A picture shows a Russian cruise missile launching from a submarine at an undisclosed location in the Mediterranean Sea on September 14, 2017. - The Russian Defence Ministry launched cruise missiles from submarines in the Mediterranean aimed at Islamic State targets in eastern Syria. (Photo by Maria Antonova. / AFP) (Photo by MARIA ANTONOVA./AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/10/GettyImages-847211546.jpg/GettyImages-847211546.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=5eeYNos9)
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Anton Mardasov
![A Turkish-Russian military convoy tows a damaged vehicle after its joint patrol was reportedly targeted on the strategic M4 highway, near the Syrian town of Urum al-Jawz in the south of the northwestern Idlib province, on August 25, 2020. - Russia and Turkey launched joint patrols along the M4 highway in March following a ceasefire agreement aimed at stopping heavy fighting in and around Idlib, the last major bastion of anti-government forces in Syria's civil war. (Photo by Abdulaziz KETAZ / AFP) (Photo by](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/10/GettyImages-1228192494.jpg/GettyImages-1228192494.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=908vVj4s)
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Anton Mardasov
![Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami attends the VII Moscow Conference on International Security MCIS-2018 in Moscow on April 4, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Alexander NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/08/GettyImages-941693794.jpg/GettyImages-941693794.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=4k8aZ3Kt)
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Anton Mardasov
![A Syrian civilian walks past a shell hole after Syrian government forces recently recaptured the village of Ghariyah ash Sharqiyah from the rebels, in the province of Daraa, on July 4, 2018. - Syrian rebels were facing a deadline Wednesday in negotiations with regime ally Russia to either agree to tough surrender terms in the south or come under a renewed military onslaught. (Photo by Youssef KARWASHAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read YOUSSEF KARWASHAN/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/07/GettyImages-991479006.jpg/GettyImages-991479006.jpg?h=1d34674f&itok=arF1Q3nE)
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Anton Mardasov
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Anton Mardasov
![RTS2XIF51.jpg](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/04/RTS2XIF51.jpg/RTS2XIF51.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=zdA6AO0-)
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Anton Mardasov
![A picture taken on April 26, 2019 shows a general view of the hall where the Syrian constitutional committee takes place in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. - Two-day talks on Syria backed by Iran, Russia and Turkey concluded in Kazakhstan on April 26, 2019 without notable progress on forming a constitutional committee to drive a political settlement in the war-wracked country. (Photo by Alexey FILIPPOV / AFP) (Photo credit should read ALEXEY FILIPPOV/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/03/GettyImages-1139465384.jpg/GettyImages-1139465384.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=TUy03Z5e)
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Anton Mardasov
![A flame rises from a chimney at Al-Jbessa oil field in Al-Shaddadeh town of Al-Hasakah governorate October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Stringer (SYRIA - Tags: ENERGY BUSINESS) - GF2EA9B0TI601](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/04/RTR45V7M.jpg/RTR45V7M.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=o7ubMlXU)
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Anton Mardasov