MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Islamist-besieged Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor has received over 20 metric tons of humanitarian aid from Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"Parachute platforms with a total…of more than 20 tons landed in the besieged areas. During the delivery of food, a Syrian Air Force plane was accompanied by the Su-30 fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces," the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it has plans to drop several dozen more tons of food on Deir ez-Zor in the nearest future.
Syria has been mired in civil war since March 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups, such as Daesh, which is outlawed in many countries, including Russia. Deir ez-Zor has been surrounded by the militants since 2014.
