1. Incorrect. The ground force against Iziz ought to be Kurds and less radical rebel factions. French (nutcases as they are) would also like to use al-Assad's forces.
Western powers bomb, but IxI: is expected to be destroyed on the ground by Kurds and rebels in Syria and by Kurds and Iraqi forces in Iraq. However, Russians fight mostly against less radical rebels and spend at best 30% of their efforts against IxI:. Hence, Russians actually work against other powers fighting Iziz.
Turks spend a lot fo efforts against Kurds in Syria, while supporting Kurds in Iraq.
US supports Kurds everywhere.
Saudis and Qataris support conservative Islamist forces in Syria.
The gigantic flaw of the present strategy is that there is no viable Sunni alternative to Iziz fighting against I:i:. Kurds cannot rule Sunni areas and neither can Shiites. Only Sunnis can.
2. Russians use drones extensively. They hang over targets and film the hits and (even more) misses. Russians miss amazingly many targets.
Thanks for the answer of 2. (And I know that you do not like the Russians). (well, the Russians do not qualify on top ten nice nations here either :-) ).
I know, I know, that there will not be any full victory Before any ground forces moves forward the IxIx.
Anyway, the number of bombs, rockets and missiles will soon enough turn the areas controlled by I:I: to a gravel heap.
What is new; the new strategy is that it seems to be okey to attack and destroy oil plants and refineries, together with oil transportations. With the aim to bring down the economic support to I:I:.
War and teffor is very expensive business. I could give you 100 examples from WWII and the German War machine back then.
We can get upset of the Germans way to steel and rob every new conquered areas, but with the simple aim to keep the war machine going ,they needed more, and more, of all energy/money, all the time, until the end.