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Russian servicemen did their best to return Syria to peaceful life — minister

"Right now, we see that only from abroad, more than a thousand of people return to their homes every day," the minister said

MOSCOW, September 13. /TASS/. During the military operation in Syria, Russian servicemen did their best to return peace and security to the Arab republic, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at an award ceremony of the "Russian Army2019" festival on Friday.

"When we began our work in Syria, only 18% of the country’s territory were free from terrorists," the minister said, adding that now the situation has changed drastically.

"Dozens of new production facilities open every daty, hospitals and schools are working normally," he said. "Many of our servicemen, doctors, engineers, command officers did their best to make sure that they [Syrians] are safe again."

According to Shoigu, Russian doctors conducted over 37,000 surgeries in Syria since 2015.

"Right now, we see that only from abroad, more than a thousand of people return to their homes every day," the minister said, adding that the situation in the country stabilized thanks to efforts of Russian officers, soldiers, pilots and sailors.

Earlier on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Trud newspaper that Syria was returning to peace with only separate hotbeds of tension remaining. "The Syrian war has ended indeed. The country is returning to normal peaceful life gradually. Separate hotbeds of tension only remain on the territories uncontrolled by the Syrian government, for example, in Idlib and the eastern bank of Euphrates," he said.