The Economist had a good article about the reasons for Russia to support Assad [1]. I know that it doesn't directly answer your question, but I hope it helps.

The Economist had a good article about the reasons for Russia to support Assad [1]. I know that it doesn't directly answer your question, but I hope it helps. [1] http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/09/economist-explains-22 http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/09/ec...