BEIRUT (AP) – Syria reached out to its powerful ally Russia on Friday, as senior officials pleaded with Moscow for financial loans and supplies of oil products – an indication that international sanctions are squeezing President Bashar Assad’s regime.

The signs of desperation came as resilient rebels fought regime forces in the Syrian capital only 2 weeks after the government crushed a revolt there. The renewed battles in Damascus show that Assad’s victories could be fleeting as armed opposition groups regroup and resurge.

“The fighting in Damascus today proves that this revolution cannot be extinguished,” said activist Abu Qais al-Shami. “The rebels may be forced to retreat because of the regime’s use of heavy weaponry, but they will always come back.”