Samah, 11, and her brother, Ibrahim, transport their salvaged belongings from their damaged house in Doudyan village in northern Aleppo Governorate, Syria, January 2, 2017. Photo Credit: Reuters
Russia has begun a drawdown of its military forces in Syria, news agencies quoted the head of the Russian General Staff as saying on Friday.
“In accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, (President) Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defense Ministry is beginning to reduce its armed forces deployment in Syria,” TASS news agency quoted Valery Gerasimov as saying.
Gerasimov said Russia’s naval fleet led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which has been operating in the Mediterranean off the Syrian coast, would be the first to return from Syria.