WTF would Putin do then?
The strategic position of Russian forces in Syria implies that the Russians, as usual, are bluffing.
Why so many paint Ivan as 10 feet tall is beyond me.
They are Kremlin trolls, they use RT, Sputnik, SouthFront and other Russian propaganda outfit to promote Putin
You can read about it here https://de.usembassy.gov/exposing-russian-disinformation/
and here http://www.stopfake.org/en/news