TEHRAN (Sputnik) — Russia will use the airspace over the Caspian Sea to carry out its airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria as long as it's necessary to find and punish perpetrators of terrorist acts against the Russian citizens, including those who downed Russia's A321 passenger plane, President Vladimir Putin said monday.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Monday that Russian military action in Syria is temporary.
"These operations will not be carried out forever, I initially stated that they would be temporary. This is related to the Syrian national army's offensive against terrorist organizations," Putin said.
The Russian leader, who is currently in Iran for the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, noted that Moscow and Tehran agree that the Syrian crisis will be ultimately resolved by political means.
"We understand our neighbors' concerns about the use of airspace over the Caspian Sea <…> and we do realize that it causes some inconvinience," Putin said during talks with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
"These inconviniences must be minimized, of course, but in light of the tragic experience with our plane, we will do it for as long as it is necessary to punish the perpetrators," Putin stressed.
