One year since its military intervention in Syria began, Russia's warplanes are aiding and abetting President Assad's forces in a ferocious assault on rebel forces in Aleppo. Hundreds of civilians, many of them children have been killed. After the breakdown of a ceasefire deal, relations between Russia and the West on a host of fronts are toxic. What does Moscow gain from heightened tensions?

Photo: Dmitry Peskov, Credit: Grigoriy Sisoev/Host Photo Agency via Getty Images