Russian President Vladimir Putin’s truce over Syria’s Idlib governate was always a joke. Now, Russia is preparing to prove it.

Alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces, the Russian military has spent the past week boosting its operational tempo in and around Idlib. The last major holdout of the Sunni rebellion against Assad’s rule, purging Idlib has always been a top priority for the dictator and his Russian-Iranian allies. To set the ground for the coming storm, Russia’s Western-focused propaganda outlets are steadily escalating their claims that rebels in Idlib are breaching the cease-fire. It’s largely untrue, but it reflects the Kremlin’s desire to deflect the Western criticism that will follow when it starts blitzing Idlib homes and hospitals.