Putin orders partial withdrawal of Russian military from Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial pullout of the Russian military from Syria, hoping that the decision will help the Syria peace talks -- which began on Monday -- succeed.

Putin said Russian air strikes allowed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s military to turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks.

“With the tasks set before the defence ministry and the military largely fulfilled, I’m ordering to start the pullout of the main part of our group of forces in Syria, beginning tomorrow,” Putin said, without specifying how many aircraft and troops should be withdrawn.

He, however, made it clear that the Russian airbase in Hemeimeem in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia and a naval facility in the Syrian port of Tartous will continue to operate.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, who restarted peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Geneva on on Monday, said he had no comment on Putin’s announcement.

Putin added that the Russian troops will continue to oversee the observance of the Russian- and the United States-brokered ceasefire.