Russia start Force Reduction in Syria

Text in portuguese

Rússia anuncia redução das suas forças militares na Síria Link

The Editor

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General of the Army Valery Gerasimov attracted special attention of the videoconference participants to the fact that since 00:00, December 30, 2016, the ceasefire regime has been active on the whole territory of Syria; it did not extend to the international terrorist groupings.

According to the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defence Ministry is starting the reduction of the Russian Armed Forces grouping in Syria.

The ships of the carrier group of the Northern Fleet will be the first to leave the conflict zone.

It is to be mentioned that the military seamen have contributed to the fast liberation of Aleppo – the economic capital of Syria – from terrorist formations.

The Commander of the Russian grouping of forces in the Syrian Arab Republic, Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov reported on the results of actions of the carrier group.

“Since November 8, 2016, the aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet consisting of the heavy aircraft carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear missile cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the large ASW ship Severomorsk, as well as auxiliary vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, has been fulfilling counterterrorist missions on the territory of Syria,” stated Andrei Kartapolov.

He noted that for the first time in the history of the Russian Navy, carrier-based aircraft performed combat missions making strikes on ground targets directly from the ship.

In the course of two months of their participation in the combat actions, naval aviation pilots have carried out 420 combat sorties, 117 of them were night ones. Almost all the flights took were performed in difficult meteorological conditions. 1,252 terrorist facilities were hit. Strikes were made on the infrastructure, concentrations of insurgents and military hardware, fire positions and strong points of illegal armed groups.

In addition, the naval aviation carried out more than 750 flights performing rescue tasks, air reconnaissance and transport missions, maintaining the favorable operational regime.

On November 15, 2016 being in the Mediterranean Sea, the Admiral Grigorovich frigate of the Black Sea Fleet made a missile strike against the ISIS in Syria using the Caliber cruise missiles. All targets were hit.

The aviation group of the Russian Aerospace Forces established close cooperation with coastal missile complexes Bastion in Syria.

The Russian air defence forces created a unified air defence system using modern S-300 and S-400 complexes capable of ensuring reliable cover of ground and maritime facilities.

Every type of defence, interservice cooperation and comprehensive support was practiced during the usage of carrier air strike group from the cruiser and from the ground airfield.

The combat missions assigned to the carrier group are accomplished.

The ships and vessels are provided with supplies; they in good technical condition. The moral state of the personnel is high. The aircraft carrier group of the Northern Fleet is ready for further action.

Chief of the General Staff of the Syrian Arab Republic Armed Forces Leutenant-General Ali Ayyoub stated that the Syrian Armed Forces achieved success on several fronts.

The Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic have achieved success and defeated the enemy on several fronts. Our recent achievement was the liberation from the arms of terror of the largest Syrian city – Aleppo. The Russian Aerospace Forces support played the main role in these victories, paving the way for the ceasefire agreement, creating conditions to start the process of political settlement of the crisis in Syria, said Leutenant-General Ali Ayyoub during the videoconference with the Chief of the Russian General Staff.

The firm and consistent Russian position in assistance to the Syrian Armed Forces creates a solid basis for more effective counterterrorist activities in the country.

The Syrian nation hopes to strengthen cooperation with the Russian Federation in all fields including the military one after the victory over terrorism.

“On behalf of the President Bashar al-Assad, the Armed Forces and the Syrian nation let me express sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to all Russian servicemen, from soldiers and sailors to generals and admirals, for the assistance and help to the Syrian Arab Republic in the fight against the international terrorism,” stated Leutenant-General Ali Ayyoub.

In his turn, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces expressed his gratitude to his counterpart for appreciation of the activities of the Russian Armed Forces aimed at fighting against the international terrorism in Syria.

It is to be mentioned that the brunt of this fight fell on the Syrian people and their Armed Forces.

The success of the Syrian Armed Forces in the liberation of Aleppo has created the necessary conditions for peaceful resolution of the conflict. The achievement of the ceasefire agreement in Syria is a bright evidence of this fact.

It will become the basis for a political settlement of the conflict.

“We are thankful to the staff of the carrier group for the successful accomplishment of the assigned missions,” stated General of the Army Valery Gerasimov.

From today, the Commander of the carrier group Vice-Admiral Viktor Sokolov is ordered to begin its curtailing and to move it to the permanent base in Severomorsk according to the approved plan.

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