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First Russian planes leave Syria after order to pull out, says defence ministry First Russian planes leave Syria after order to pull out, Moscow says
(about 1 hour later)
The first group of Russian planes has taken off from an airbase in Syria following an order to pull out from President Vladimir Putin, according to the defence ministry. The morning after Vladimir Putin ordered the surprise withdrawal of Moscow’s military contingent in Syria, Russia’s defence ministry said a first group of planes had taken off for home from the Hmeymim airbase near Latakia.
The statement came a day after Putin announced the withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria, timing his move to coincide with the resumption of peace talks in Geneva. Putin’s announcement that Russia’s objectives had been “generally accomplished” after five and a half months of bombing raids, came in a televised meeting on Monday evening with his defence and foreign ministers. He ordered the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, to begin a withdrawal, and the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was told to work on intensifying diplomatic efforts to bring peace.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday morning, the Russian defence ministry said aircraft would be relocated from the Hmeymim airbase in Syria to their home bases in Russia. State television showed footage of soldiers loading an Ilyushin-76 transport plane with equipment from the base to be returned to Russia. An unspecified number of Su-34 fighter jets were among the first group to set off for the long-distance flight back to Russia.
Related: Vladimir Putin orders withdrawal of Russian troops from SyriaRelated: Vladimir Putin orders withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria
The start of negotiations in Switzerland on Monday offered Putin an opportune moment to declare an official end to the five-and-a-half-month Russian air campaign that has allowed the Syrian regime’s army to regain key ground and strengthen its positions ahead of the talks. “Personnel are loading equipment, logistics items and inventory into transport aviation aircraft,” the defence ministry wrote, adding that Shoigu had ordered the “main part” of the contingent in Syria to be redeployed.
With Russia’s main goals in Syria achieved, the pullback will allow Putin to pose as a peacemaker and help ease tensions with Nato member Turkey and the Gulf monarchies vexed by Moscow’s military action. On Monday night Putin telephoned the US president, Barack, Obama, to inform him of the decision, and the pair spoke about both Syria and Ukraine “in a constructive and frank manner”, according to the Kremlin.
At the same time, Putin made it clear that Russia would maintain its air base and a naval facility in Syria and keep some troops there. Syria’s state news agency also quoted Assad as saying that the Russian military would draw down its air force contingent but will not leave the country altogether. “The heads of state noted the importance of full coordination of efforts between representatives of Russia and the United States, including on military matters, to preserve the truce and ensure provide humanitarian assistance to besieged towns, as well as effectively fighting terrorist groups,” said Moscow’s readout of the call.
The Syrian presidency said Assad and Putin spoke on the phone on Monday and jointly agreed that Russia would scale back its forces in Syria. It rejected speculation that the decision reflected a rift between the allies and said the decision reflected the “successes” the two armies have achieved in fighting terrorism in Syria and restoring peace to key areas of the country. The White House said Obama told Putin that he “welcomed the much-needed reduction in violence since the beginning of the cessation, but stressed that continuing offensive actions by Syrian regime forces risk undermining both the cessation of hostilities and the UN-led political process”.
The Syrian army said it would continue its operations against the Islamic State group, al-Qaida’s Syria branch known as the Nusra Front and other militant factions in Syria that have been designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations “with the same tempo”. Putin’s move was clearly designed to coincide with the start of Syrian peace talks in Geneva and will be seen as a sign that Russia believes it has done enough to protect Assad’s regime from collapse.
In an earlier statement on Tuesday, Russia’s defence ministry said its military personnel were loading equipment and materiel on cargo planes and getting ready for the withdrawal. Western diplomatic sources were both sceptical and startled by Putin’s unexpected and mercurial move. “We will have to wait and see what this represents. It is Putin. He has announced similar concessions in the past and nothing materialised,” a diplomat at the talks in Geneva told the Guardian.
The ministry said the jets would be accompanied by military transport aircraft and would be making stops at airfields in Russia for refuelling and technical checks since some are stationed more than 3,000 miles away from the Syria base. Philip Hammond, the UK foreign secretary, wrote on Twitter that the Russian move could be positive if it was part of a real commitment to a Syrian-led political transition and continuation of the cessation of hostilities.
Moscow did not indicate when the first planes were scheduled to leave. The Foreign Office and Downing Street have reacted cautiously, waiting to see what the Russian announcement looks like in practice. David Cameron believes the most important thing is for Putin’s government to support the talks in Geneva and influence the regime in that way.
Announcing his decision in a televised meeting with Russia’s foreign and defence ministries, Putin said on Monday the Russian air campaign had allowed Assad’s military to “radically” turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks. Shoigu said that Russian planes had made more than 9,000 flights during the campaign. While Russia has officially claimed to be fighting Islamic State, many of the attacks have targeted other opposition groups.
Putin did not specify how many planes and troops would be withdrawn. The number of Russian soldiers in Syria has not been revealed. US estimates of the number of Russian military personnel in Syria vary from 3,000 to 6,000. Putin has ordered that the Hmeymim airbase should remain open with a “limited contingent” of Russian forces, and defended from “land, sea and air”, leading some to question whether the withdrawal might be more of a tactical gambit than a full wind-down of the Russian military presence in Syria.
Russia has also deployed more than 50 jets and helicopters to its Hemeimeem air base, in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia. The Syrian army said it would continue its operations against Isis, al-Qaida’s Syria branch and other militant factions in Syria that have been designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations “with the same tempo”.