The Russian Defense Ministry has said the Russian military contingent which has been deployed to Syria’s Palmyra de facto serves as a peacekeeping force. This statement showcases the expanding Russian influence in the Arab country.
Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
Russian forces are helping the Syrian government to restore everyday life in the ancient city of Palmyra.
“Today — I would like to underline this — our forces are mostly playing the role of not just soldiers, but peacekeepers, providing assistance to Syrian authorities in restoring normal life,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said on April 27.
He noted that Russia has been providing Syrian civilians with food and water and informed that Russian combat engineers had already demined most of the ancient city. Its historical part was cleared last week.
The statement of the Russian Deputy Defense Minister marks the official expansion of the Russian presense in Syria.
It could be expected that following Russian peacekeeping contingents can be deployed to the different parts of the war-torn country in order to observe the ceasefire. Such actions will likely influence positively the chances to hold the casefire for a long time.