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Russian Defense Ministry helps Syrian army to restore military capabilities

The Russian Defense Ministry is also training Syrian servicemen
Russian servicemen at the Hmeymim base in Syria Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Russian servicemen at the Hmeymim base in Syria
© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry is training Syrian servicemen and restoring their military capabilities, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday.

"In the framework of Russian Defense Ministry’s purposeful work to strengthen Syrian Armed Forces, events are held to restore their military capability and train units to perform combat tasks," Shoigu told the military-scientific conference "Military and political results of using Armed Forces in Syria and main strategic conclusions."

Russia takes an active part in the Syrian settlement effort. It helps Syria's authorities fight terrorists and has conducted mine clearing work in the ancient city of Palmyra. Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering pinpoint strikes in Syria at facilities of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, which are banned in Russia, on September 30, 2015, on a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad.

On March 14, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to withdraw the main part of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ group from Syria. Putin said the tasks set before the military "have been fulfilled on the whole." Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov said strikes on terrorists will continue to be delivered.