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Fight against Islamic state

Putin: Russian forces in Syria performed important task to fight militants from CIS states

The president stressed that the Syrian army gained the strategic initiative thanks to the Russian Aerospace Force

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Russia’s military operation in Syria allowed accomplishing an important task of struggling against militants who came from Russia and CIS countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

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"We also accomplished the most important internal task of struggling with bandits coming from Russia and CIS states," Putin said at a meeting with officers on the occasion of their appointment to senior posts.

"The Syrian army has gained the strategic initiative thanks to the Russian Aerospace Force. Terrorist groupings have sustained considerable casualties," the Russian leader said.

While greeting officers in the Kremlin’s St. George Hall, Putin said that the Russian servicemen were performing their duty with honor and dignity.

"The Russian Armed Forces’ military operation in Syria is a worthy example of that. Over a short period of time, our combined arms grouping reversed the situation and rendered strong support to the legitimate government," Russia's supreme commander-in-chief said.

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Foreign policy Islamic State

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