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Is Russia's Syria intervention a 'holy war'? Russian Orthodox Church: 'yes' The church fully supports the Kremlin's decision to intervene in Syria, both as a 'war on terrorism' and to protect Middle Eastern Christians it sees as its responsibility. Christian Science Monitor By Fred Weir 18 hours ago For many in the West, the idea that a church would take an overtly hawkish stance in the conflict in Syria is an utterly foreign concept. But then, the Russian Orthodox Church is not of the West, says Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, the church's most recognizable spokesperson, in his spartan downtown Moscow office....

The Russian military has launched cruise missiles against Islamic State positions in Syria from both the Mediterranean and Caspian seas, one of which killed over 600 terrorists in the Deir Ex-Zor Province, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has said. “On November 20, the warships of the Caspian Fleet launched 18 cruise missiles at seven targets in the provinces of Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo. All targets were hit successfully,” he reported to President Vladimir Putin. Overall, there are 10 warships taking part in the operation, six of which are in the Mediterranean. Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) have been suffering huge...

The Russian air force just pulled off one of the biggest and most complex heavy bomber missions in modern history—sending no fewer than 25 Backfire, Bear, and Blackjack bombers on a coordinated, long-range air raid against alleged ISIS forces in Syria. The Tuesday mission, which launched under the cover of darkness from a base in Ossetia in southern Russia, signaled a significant escalation of Moscow’s air war in Syria—and heralded the rebirth of Russian heavy bomber squadrons that once had withered from a lack of funding.

Assad: Putin the ‘only defender of Christian civilization’ By Kellan Howell - The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 18, 2015 Syrian President Bashar Assad said he considers his long-time ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin as the “only defender of Christian civilization” one can trust, a comment made in an interview with a French magazine following the Paris attacks. “When I look at the present state of things in the world, I realize that Vladimir Putin is the sole defender of Christian civilization one can rely on,” Mr. Assad told French magazine Valeurs Actuelles,

Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed to Western leaders to bury their differences with Russia and jointly strike at the "barbarian" Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Syria, saying Friday's Paris terrorist attack underscored the need for such concerted action. In a condolences telegram sent to French President Francois Hollande, Putin said, "This tragedy is another proof of the barbarian nature of terrorism, which challenges the human civilisation. Clearly, for effective fighting this evil, the entire international community should unite efforts," Tass news agency reported. "I would like to confirm the Russian side is ready for most close cooperation with the French...

ISIS is probably regretting claiming responsibility for downing a Russian plane after they heard the plans that Putin has for them. I guess they thought they could get away with whatever they wanted since they seem to be able to do it in the good ol USA: By now youve probably heard that a Russian airliner crashed in the Middle East, killing all 224 passengers on board. ISIS claimed responsibility, saying they actually shot the plane down. Too bad for them, the epic revenge Russian President Vladimir Putin has in mind is a peace making wet dream , and its...

Vladimir Putin is known for his sharp wit, but musings on love are a relative novelty. In an unexpected remark Friday, the Russian president spoke of the “meaning of life,” saying that for him “in general” it is love that matters. Briefly digressing from politics, Putin ventured a philiosophical observation that “multifaceted” love is “the basis of all our actions” and the essence of being. "The meaning of our whole life and existence is love," Putin told his audience at the 15th Congress of the Russian Geographical Society. "It is love for the family, for the children, for the motherland....