Ians,

Do you reckon that represents the acme of Russian missile development brought in to aid Assad, or do you think a pointy head headlopper knocked it up in his garden shed?

No, and neither do they include barrel bombs in their arsenal.
We know for a fact that Assad has used such weapons before.

Steve, it may not be proved to your satisfaction, but what decent democratic government shares your doubts?
You are just desperate to believe that the West is bad and anti-Western regimes good.
You condemn Israel on far less evidence.