Since early Thursday, October 22 morning, Russian combat jets have been taking off from Hemeimeem Airbase in western Syria, heading out for more of the heavy bombing runs that have allowed Moscow once again to portray itself as a major global player capable of projecting military power far from its borders, the Associated Press reports.

The Russian Defense Ministry flew Moscow-based reporters to the air base overnight, giving international news organizations their first inside look at its operations there.

The trip to the Syrian base was organized Wednesday, the same day the Kremlin announced that Syrian President Bashar Assad had come to Moscow and met with President Vladimir Putin.

In a sign that a diplomatic push is underway, Russia also announced Wednesday that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry would meet Friday in Vienna.

On Thursday, dozens of jets could be seen parked around the Hemeimeem base, located near the coastal city of Latakia. The large base is protected by air defense systems, which could be seen deployed around its edges.

Russian servicemen, who wear crisp desert-style uniforms, have been barred from talking to the journalists.