What Russia accomplished in one year of its Syria campaign

What Russia accomplished in one year of its Syria campaign

"On September 30, 2015 Russian jets conducted their first strikes against terrorist targets in Syria, hitting Islamic State positions near the cities of Homs and Hama. By that time the US-led coalition had been already active in Syria for over a year. Yet Russia became the only state which received an official request from Syrian President Bashar Assad to conduct air strikes in the country. The Russian jets operated from the Khmeimim air base located in Syria’s Latakia Governorate."

One of the main achievements of the campaign so far was helping the Syrian army liberate the ancient city of Palmira, RT said.

"The ancient city had been under the control of IS since May 2015 before it was retaken by government forces backed by Russian airstrikes in March this year. Jihadists destroyed numerous historical landmarks during the occupation, while leaving roads, houses and monuments booby trapped. Russian and Syrian sappers defused thousands of mines left by the terrorists after their retreat."

Turkey's downing of a Russian Su-24 bomber near the Syria-Turkey border was "a tragic incident":

"One pilot died as a result, while another one was rescued. Ankara said that the Russian plane violated its airspace, but Moscow said the Su-24 was attacked over the Syrian border. Reacting to the Su-24 downing President Putin called the incident 'a stab in the back', with Moscow imposing sanctions on Turkey. Russia suspended direct air connections with Turkey as a result. In June Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for the attack in a written statement, which led to the normalization of bilateral relations."

Another important date for the Russian campaign was March 15.

"Putin ordered the withdrawal of the majority of Russian jets and personnel from Syria, announcing that the major part of the operation in Syria was over. Back then officials stated that the Russian jets conducted over 7,000 sorties destroying numerous bases and hideouts of jihadists and leaving nearly 13,000 terrorists dead. The remaining units of the Russian air force continued to assist Syrian government troops in tackling jihadists across the country."

Russia also established the Reconciliation Center in Syria, "tasked with helping to monitor the cessation of hostilities and implement international peace proposals on the ground."

"On July 28 this year the center and the Syrian government introduced three 'safe corridors' for civilians willing to leave the ravaged Aleppo. The plan also included a fourth passage for militants who wanted to surrender. The corridors have been largely used to deliver humanitarian aid, including medicine and water to the population," RT said.

The role of Russian FM Sergei Lavrov is also highlighted in the article, mentioning the deals he and his US counterpart John Kerry brokered on the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

One such agreement came into force on February 27 and included "a stop to military action from both the rebel and government side. Terrorist groups, like IS and Jabhat al-Nusra were excluded from the truce deal."

A fresh round of talks resulted in a new deal on the cessation of hostilities, announced by Lavrov and Kerry on September 9 in Geneva.

"The agreement was part of a larger peace plan, which also included the delivery of humanitarian aid, in particular to Aleppo. The deal, which again excluded terrorist groups came into force on September 12 but has since been marred by numerous violations," the report said.

According to RT, "Moscow demanded Washington use its influence to persuading rebel forces to clearly separate themselves from jihadists in Syria to avoid hitting them in airstrikes. John Kerry in return said President Assad has not been willing to comply with the peace agreement."