Russian Air Campaign Helped Syria Maintain Statehood - Putin

Sputnik News

14:10 04.09.2016(updated 15:07 04.09.2016)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that the support of the Russian aviation helped Syria maintain statehood, as well as dealt a blow to terrorists in the war-torn country.

HANGZHOU (Sputnik) – He added that Moscow could not leave Damascus' request for help without response as the terror threat in Syria had been very high.

"The actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces helped to seriously damage terrorists, their infrastructure, as well as [helped] save the Syrian state, that is the most important thing in my opinion," Putin said, speaking at the informal meeting of the leaders of the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa – on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

On September 30, 2015, Russia began its anti-terror campaign in Syria on Damascus' request, and started to to conduct airstrikes against terrorist groups. In March, Putin ordered to withdraw most of the country's military contingent after accomplishing its objectives.

The final settlement of the crisis in Syria can only be achieved through political means, Putin said.

"The conflicts of this kind can be decisively solved only by political means," the Russian president said.

Putin also stressed that the real response to terrorist threat was "possible to achieve only by combining the efforts of all interested parties."

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