• In this photo made from footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official website on Thursday, a bomb explosion is seen in Syria. Reacting to criticism that it is targeting opponents of the Syrian government, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Thursday that Russia's airstrikes in Syria are targeting not only Islamic State militants but also other groups. | RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE / AP
    In this photo made from footage taken from Russian Defense Ministry official website on Thursday, a bomb explosion is seen in Syria. Reacting to criticism that it is targeting opponents of the Syrian government, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on Thursday that Russia's airstrikes in Syria are targeting not only Islamic State militants but also other groups. | RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE / AP

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WASHINGTON – Already outgunned and outmanned in Syria’s civil war, U.S.-backed rebels are facing a new and possibly even more serious threat to their survival: Russian airstrikes that Washington appears reluctant to thwart.

The Obama administration — blindsided by the speed of Moscow’s direct intervention and a Russian target list that included CIA-trained fighters — made clear on Thursday that it had no desire to increase the risk of an air clash between the former Cold War foes.

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