Russia’s Foreign Ministry is also disclosing for the first time that Russian military experts are now on the ground in Syria, assisting President Bashar al Assad’s government forces however it is also denying U.S. charges that it’s expanding military aid to Syria. This follows confirmation by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Moscow is also flying military equipment into Syria.

CCTV’s Julia Lyubova filed this report from Moscow.

More details:

• Russia has backed the government of Bashar al-Assad since the beginning of the conflict in the country.
• Russia’s military presence in Syria has grown significantly, including a rise in military personnel.
• Some experts believe that without Russia’s aid, President Assad would not still be in office.

Governments criticize Russian activity in Syria

Russia’s actions in Syria are drawing the attention of other governments, especially the United States. CCTV America’s Roee Ruttenberg filed this report.

More details:

• This week Bulgaria accepted American requests to deny its airspace to Russian cargo planes.
• The U.S. says Russia is fueling the conflict in Syria and with it, the country’s humanitarian crisis.
• U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov to express some of Washington’s concerns.

Former US official PJ Crowley discusses impact of Russia-Syria ties

CCTV America interviewed PJ Crowley, a former U.S. State Department spokesperson about the impact of Syria-Russia ties. Follow Crowley on twitter @pjcrowley.