Russia’s military has completed most of its objectives in Syria, the head of the State Duma Defense Committee said, as Russian media predicts the third withdrawal of Russian forces.
President Vladimir Putin twice ordered reductions of Russian forces in Syria in 2016, two years since Moscow’s launch of military operations there. Both times, however, it was revealed that Moscow had shipped new equipment to Syria.
This time, policymakers are planning to cut Russia’s Air Force in Syria, two military and diplomatic sources told the business daily Kommersant on Monday.
Kommersant cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that “such decisions are not announced,” while the Ministry of Defense denied that these plans exist.