MOSCOW // The first group of Russian military planes left Syria on Tuesday, a day after president Vladimir Putin’s order to withdraw most of his forces from the country.
“The first group of Russian planes has flown out of the Hmeimim airbase for their permanent bases on the territory of the Russian Federation,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement, adding that they included Su-34 bombers and a Tu-154 transport plane.
The ministry said that aircraft would leave the airbase in groups made up of one transport plane carrying technical personnel or equipment accompanied by Russian warplanes.
“Each group in this format will fly according to a pre-arranged route to the border of the Russia Federation and after crossing it all the planes will fly on independently to their own bases,” the statement said.
Mr Putin stunned the West on Monday by ordering the withdrawal of the main part of Russia’s forces in Syria almost six months since Moscow started its bombing campaign in support of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad.
Russia’s withdrawal came as fresh talks started in Geneva on the fifth anniversary of the civil war that has cost some 270,000 lives.
* Agence France-Presse
