The Russian Defense Ministry has announced on Tuesday that the first groups of Russian warplanes flew home from Syria as Moscow started to withdraw forces that have tipped the war President Bashar al-Assad's way, and the U.N. envoy said he hoped the move would help peace talks in Geneva.
The Russian Defense Ministry has announced on Tuesday that the first groups of Russian warplanes flew home from Syria as Moscow started to withdraw forces that have tipped the war President Bashar al-Assad's way, and the U.N. envoy said he hoped the move would help peace talks in Geneva.
The news comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave orders on Monday to withdraw Russia’s main military contingent from Syria beginning on March 15, claiming their objectives have been “carried out in full", The Moscow Times informs.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry announcement in a press release, each group of warplanes is composed of a ‘leader’ (Tupolev Tu-154 or Ilyushin Il-76), in which utility personnel travel, together with aeronautical and technical equipment, followed by Russian warplanes of varying models.
However, the full significance of Putin's announcement is not yet clear. While Assad's opponents hope that most Russian forces would be withdrawn signaled a shift in his support, Russia is keeping an air base and an undeclared number of forces in Syria.
Reuters writes that Russian jets were in action against Islamic State on Tuesday. Assad also still enjoys military backing from Iran, which has sent forces to Syria along with Lebanon's Hezbollah.
