8 October 2016, 20:02 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's initiative to introduce a humanitarian pause in the northern city of Aleppo matches UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura's proposal to escort militants out of the city, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Tuesday.
"The announcement of an eight-hour humanitarian pause is a reflection of the fact that Moscow acts very responsibly in the task of ensuring humanitarian access. And the eight-hour pause matches with de Mistura's well-known proposal on this matter," Ryabkov told reporters.
On Monday, Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate, announced a humanitarian pause to be introduced for eight hours on October 20.
In early October, de Mistura proposed to personally escort the estimated 900 Jabhat Fatah al Sham (formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia) fighters out of Aleppo.
