Syrian Drawdown: Russia Starts Taking Her Armed Forces Home After Successful Mission
Last Thursday, a formal reception in honor of the best graduates of military academies was held at the Grand Kremlin Palace. In his address to the young officers, Vladimir Putin emphasized the increased military potential and coordination between Army units in the context of fighting terrorism in Syria. It's time to learn from this experience. In a way, it's a past experience, as a large number of Russian troops is currently being withdrawn from Syria. This week, pilots and other servicemen returned to their homes in Russia.
Vladimir Putin: "As you know, we started the withdrawal of our forces during my visit to the Khmeimim Air Base. The withdrawal carries on as we speak. Over the past few days, 13 aircraft, 14 helicopters, and 1,140 personnel have been withdrawn. All of them are people who have been tested in combat. Both you and your colleagues will make full use of this experience when training personnel here on Russian territory in order to master the most challenging and unconventional skills, that will be tested during snap inspections, strategic and tactical exercises, and to learn to use cutting-edge, new generation armaments that are being supplied to the Army".