MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Apart from Russia's military bases in Tartus and Hmeimim, Russian servicemen for some time may stay in Syrian de-escalation zones, member of Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, Viktor Ozerov, said Tuesday.
The minister added that this would be possible "if a relevant proposal is received from the Syrian Republic and is considered by the Russian leadership and General Staff."
Currently, the Syrian army's operation to completely free Deir ez-Zor province from Daesh is underway. Last week marked the Syrian army's victory in al-Mayadeen, the largest terrorist stronghold in the province. According to the latest data released by the Russian Defense Ministry, 92 percent of Syria has been freed from terrorists.
The information provided by the Russian Defense Ministry has been commented on by Chairman of the upper house's Committee on Defense and Security Viktor Bondarev.
"The timeline for the completion of the operation in Syria is still open. At the moment, 92% of the country's territory has been liberated from terrorists, and if we do not slow down due to any objective circumstances, we can predict the complete elimination of IS terrorist formations in Syria by the end of 2017," Bondarev, who is a former commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, told Sputnik.
