Syrian Army Reaches a 'Turning Point' in Battle for Aleppo

Opposition forces in Syria have lost some 40 percent of the territory they once controlled, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Wednesday.

Over the past several days, the Syrian military turned the tide in the battle for the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, according to Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

"Our Western counterparts are showing surprising blindness when it is time to assess the real situation in Aleppo. Over the past day, thanks to very well prepared and careful actions of Syrian servicemen, the situation has drastically changed. Nearly half of the territory of Aleppo's eastern part occupied by militants over the past years has been completely liberated," Konashenkov said.

The statement was made in response to statements by the United States Department of State, the British Foreign Office and the French Foreign Ministry that civilians in Aleppo allegedly sustained serious damage during the operation of the Syrian Army, as well as calls by certain Bundestag members to impose new sanctions against Russia over the situation in Syria.

The battle for Aleppo has entered the decisive stage, said Dmitry Egorchenkov, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Prognosis, at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia.

"All the signs are that a turning point has been reached in the battle of Aleppo. During the recent days, the Syrian Army cut a group of terrorists in eastern Aleppo in two parts and then destroyed the northern part of this group. The frontline in Aleppo was reduced. Currently, Syrian forces which are currently attacking the rest of the militants on all directions will further intensify combat actions," Egorchenkov told Radio Sputnik.

According to the expert, for the terrorists it is becoming more and more difficult to repeal those attacks.

"The number of civilians leaving eastern Aleppo and militants laying down arms has significantly increased. The terrorists are disorganized and cannot control civilians. Previously, they prevented people from leaving the city by shooting at them and planting mines along the evacuation corridors. Now, there are an increasing number of militants who want to surrender to government forces," Egorchenkov pointed out.

According to him, now the terrorists understand that "resistance makes no sense."

The expert also suggested that the militants are unlikely to retake control over Aleppo from the Syrian Army.

"I don’t think they have forces to recapture Aleppo. They received reinforcements from Idlib, but the route has been cut off by Russian aircraft and naval forces in the region. Now, there is no area when the rest of the co-called opposition forces could take hold," Egorchenkov concluded.