VLADIMIR Putin has dispatched his most elite special forces team to Syria to hunt down and wipe out Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
A battalion of elite paratroopers also ghosted into the war-torn country this week as Putin ramps up his assault on the Islamist fanatics and rebel forces fighting to topple dictator Bashar al-Assad.
It is especially significant because many of the men have a deep hatred of jihadis from their time fighting in Chechnya’s bloody civil war, when Islamist fanatics battling for independence carried out frequent atrocities against Russian citizens.

YouTube/RussiasNumber1, A Spetsnaz soldier in a ‘Ghillie’ suit in the forest
Vladimir Putin his dispatched his most feared troops to Syria

YouTube/RussiasNumber1, Three Spetsnaz soldiers in uniform
The Spetsnaz are Russia’s most elite killers
The move comes after it emerged that Putin is set to send 150,000 troops to Syria to wipe out the evil hate group once and for all.
His jets have waged a merciless bombing campaign against the jihadis in recent weeks, blitzing more than 50 facilities including a key command centre and a suicide belt factory.
They are a extremely aggressive and highly trained
“They are there to mop up after air strikes, call in air strikes, go on extremely covert missions against rebels and ultimately wipe them out.
![Bombs dropped by a Russian warplane during an airstrike against a large concentration of terrorist Islamic State (ISIS or IS) military equipment in the forest area near the city of Idlib, Syria [EPA] Bombs dropped by a Russian warplane during an airstrike against a large concentration of terrorist Islamic State (ISIS or IS) military equipment in the forest area near the city of Idlib, Syria](https://i2.wp.com/cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/galleries/x701/73530.jpg)
Bombs dropped by a Russian warplane during an airstrike against a large concentration of terrorist Islamic State (ISIS or IS) military equipment in the forest area near the city of Idlib, Syria [EPA]

YouTube/RussiasNumber1, Troopers from the Spetsnaz unit
The elite troopers will be tasked with taking out opponents of Bashar al-Assad

YouTube/RussiasNumber1, A Spetsnaz soldier takes cover behind a van during a training exercise
Vladimir Putin is stepping up his campaign against ISIS in Syria

YouTube/RussiasNumber1, Vladimir Putin meets troops from the Spetsnaz unit
Putin has vowed to wipe out ISIS in Syria. It is believed that ISIS has already suffered crushing losses due to airstrikes and defections, with a leading terror expert telling Express.co.uk that they are now so weakened they could be defeated in a matter of hours. Putin began his aerial assault in Syria last week, with Russia launching dozens of airstrikes against ISIS and “other terrorist groups”.

A Russian fighter pilot climbs down from his jet in Syria
Russia has been pounding ISIS outposts in Syria

Technicians attach a bomb to a Russian jet plane
Putin’s bombers have waged a merciless campaign against the jihadis
Russian bombers have obliterated a command centre and a suicide belt factory
Putin is keen to shore up the rule of brutal dictator al-Assad, a long time ally whose power is threatened by rebel pro-democracy groups including the Free Syrian Army.