Contents tagged with Syrian Conflict

  • Lavrov warned Kerry that providing opposition with MANPADS could lead to an exacerbation of the situation in Syria

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that supplying the armed opposition with man-portable air defense systems might lead to an exacerbation of the situation in Syria.

    Lavrov noted, "the permission to supply the anti-government units with arms, including MANPADS,” which was included into United States Defense Bill, "may lead to further escalation of tensions and more casualties."

    Kerry and Lavrov discussed questions regarding the settlement of the …

  • Russian military police battalion arrives in Aleppo

    A Russian military police battalion has arrived in Aleppo, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced, as reported by Russia's Interfax news agency.

    "At the present time, the division has marched from the Khmeimim air base to the city of Aleppo to perform tasks as part of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the Ministry’s website stated.

    As part of the territorial departments of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides, the …

  • Putin congratulates Assad over Aleppo

    Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the Syrian government’s victory in Aleppo, as stated by the Kremlin’s press service on Friday.

    "This success was made possible thanks to the joint efforts of all those who rallied in the fight against international terrorism in Syria," the press release stated.

    "Vladimir Putin emphasized that at the moment, the main task is to focus on issues relating to the promotion of the peaceful settlement, in particular, …

  • Russia has tested more than 160 new weapons in Syria

    Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu announced that during Russia's military operation in the Syrian armed conflict, Russian servicemen tested 162 new weapons in Syria, RIA Novosti reports.

    "One hundred and sixty two modern and modernized weapons were tested during the operation in Syria,” the Defense Minister noted. According to Shoygu, the Russian Defense Ministry decided to suspend purchases of some types of weapons because they failed the combat test.

    "Weaknesses that were not seen …

  • Ukrainian MPs call on international community to strengthen sanctions against Russia because of Syria

    A group of deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called the international community to tighten sanctions on Russia because of its actions in Syria.

    This group's stance was explained in the statement "regarding the criminal actions of the regime of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia in Syria", published on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.

    The statement was initiated by the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Iryna Herashchenko, Chairperson of the …

  • Media: Russian soldiers rob evacuees near Aleppo

    Evacuation from Eastern Aleppo is accompanied by violence and brutality from Iranian and Russian soldiers controlling the checkpoints at the exit from this part of the city.

    One incident was described to Hromadske.ua by Syrian journalist Monzer Etaki, who left the eastern area of Aleppo a few days ago during the evacuation.

    "On Monday, December 19, we got permission to evacuate. I fell ill after living in my car all those days. People around me burned their belongings to warm themselves. I …

  • Russian blogger was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for a post about Syria

    A court in the city of Tyumen found the blogger, Alexei Kungurov, guilty for public "justification of terrorism" for a blog post he wrote on the LiveJournal social networking service, dedicated to the Russian campaign in Syria, reported Russia's Novaya Gazeta daily. He was sentenced to two and a half years in a penal colony settlement.

    Earlier, a family friend, Maxim Karpikov, told Novaya Gazeta about the verdict.

    Kungurov is a known political activist in the Tyumen region, who also …

  • Lavrov says that only Russia, Turkey, and Iran can help Syria

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the negotiations of Russia, Turkey and Iran the most effective format to resolve the conflict in Syria. Other formats are not effective, he stated after attending the trilateral negotiations in Moscow.

    "I believe, the most effective format is the one which you may see today. It is not an attempt to cast doubt on the efforts of other partners to make progress settling the Syrian crisis. It’s just a statement of fact,” Lavrov said at a press …

  • Russia, Turkey and Iran are ready to become the guarantors of agreement between Syrian President and opposition

    On the 20th of December, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, stated after a meeting with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Javad Zarif, in Moscow, that Russia, Turkey, and Iran are ready to contribute to the establishment of an agreement between the Syrian authorities and the opposition, and become its guarantors.

    The three countries favored the expansion of the ceasefire throughout Syria, with the exception of the areas controlled by terrorist …

  • Russia, Turkey and Iran have agreed to hold talks on Syria

    The foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran, Sergey Lavrov, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Mohammad Javad Zarif respectively, discussed the situation in Syria against the backdrop of eastern Aleppo being occupied by government troops and the evacuation of the civilian population out of the city.

    The Ministers previously agreed to hold a meeting to discuss the Syrian conflict, as evidenced by a press release issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 17.

    The document does not …