It seems Russia's 16 month involvement in the Syrian Civil War in which its warplanes and weapons killed thousands of Syrian civilians was also a sales stunt means to demonstrate the deadliness of its effective -- but cheaper -- weapons to Muslim states in the Middle East.

Cash-poor Russia continues to be pummeled by punishing western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion and annexation of the Ukraine in March 2014.

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A Syrian military expert with the regime of Syrian president and Russian puppet Bashar al-Assad now claims Muslim states should abandon their fondness for U.S. weapons in the face of the proven lethality of cheaper Russian weapons.

The Syrian analyst, Qasi al Myatasim, told state-owned Russian propaganda media that Russian weapons last longer and are more reliable. Russia's weapons also aren't downgraded, and come equipped with the same sophisticated electronic devices found in the same weapons used by the Russian armed forces.

"American weapons are not reliable. Russia produce more advanced military equipment, but the US has better propaganda tools," he argued.

"Moreover, when the Americans export their weapons they take out all advanced and complicated electronics (from those weapons)."

The Syrian also said Russian weapons are more far more reliable.

"Russian weapons can be operational for years. They just need to be maintained, including replacing worn-out parts. This gives much more options. We worked with Soviet-made weapons, and the results were very good."

Russia is the world's second largest arms exporter after the U.S., with a 25 percent share of the world total from 2011-2015, up from 22 percent from 2006-2010. The Syrian Civil War was another opportunity to boost Russian arms exports.

Western analysts noted the deployment of a battle group centered around the obsolete Russian aircraft carrier RFS Admiral Kuznetsov (063), Russia's only carrier, off the coast of Syria in October 2016 was in reality a sales stunt meant to drum-up interest among Arab states in the Mikoyan MiG-29 air superiority fighter.

Embarrassingly for Russia, one of these MiG-29s, a MiG-29K (the naval version of the jet), crashed shortly after take-off during the Kuznetsov's first bombing mission against anti-Assad Syrian rebels. There were only four MiG-29s aboard the Kuznetsov.

TagsRussia, Syrian Civil War, Bashar al-Assad, Qasi al Myatasim, RFS Admiral Kuznetsov, Mikoyan MiG-29