Jets have begun landing at an air force base in southwestern Russia after the Kremlin's surprise decision to partially withdraw from Syria
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They are being welcomed home as heroes and decorated by their military chiefs.
Fighter jets have begun landing at an air force base near Voronezh in the southwest of Russia after the Kremlin made the surprise decision to partially withdraw its forces from Syria.
Russia is leaving #Syria, but continues keeping an eye on it https://t.co/kKuBBziin2 #SyriaCrisis pic.twitter.com/4tNmfBtfdR
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) March 15, 2016
Moscow says the withdrawal is possible as Russia has achieved its goals with the start of the peace talks in Geneva.
However, Russia will continue to maintain a military presence in Syria with military bases in Latakia and Tartus.
Also, the Russian army says its S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system in Syria will remain in place.
Sergei Ivanov, head of the President’s Office and a fomer defence minister, said: “This is in order to effectively provide security, including from the air, the most modern defence systems are needed.”
The Russian air force also says it jets will continue to strike ISIL targets in Syria and what it calls “other terrorist groups”.
Putin, Russia may be back in Syria soon: Experts https://t.co/ulpAHzPLTB pic.twitter.com/QJnCkfHA05
— CNBC (@CNBC) March 15, 2016
Russia's Syria withdrawal has many wondering: Why is Putin suddenly so co-operative? https://t.co/cIoP169NJe pic.twitter.com/32cZLzg9FY
— CNBC (@CNBC) March 15, 2016
Russia's rationale for the Syrian withdrawal is as multifaceted as it is ambiguous: https://t.co/KMnK0Evarc pic.twitter.com/ErnB0Y9gka
— Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) March 15, 2016
With campaign in Syria, Russia tested military hardware and prowess https://t.co/vDvZjit9j3 pic.twitter.com/ETVWbv4nKz
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 15, 2016
China says Russia's Syria withdrawal a positive signal https://t.co/zNalmvP7d7 pic.twitter.com/RTOt61IpKz
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) March 15, 2016
Opinion: Russia's “success”, if we can call it that, has come at an amazing cost https://t.co/UEg23KIkxY pic.twitter.com/II4FuMHpM8
— Financial Times (@FT) March 15, 2016