Russian Ministry of Defense has denied media reports that Russia has increased its military presence in Syria.
“The Russian Defense Ministry implements measures to reduce the groups of Russian troops (forces) in accordance with the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces,” according to Defense Ministry’s spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.
Konashenkov made the comment after the US TV channel FoxNews aired a report saying that Russia had been allegedly increasing its military presence in the country. A US official quoted in a Fox News report on Wednesday claimed that “we have seen new things coming in” from Russia to Syria.
The Russian military spokesman recalled that the Northern Fleet carrier group including the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruuiser started their withrawal on January 6.
He added out that six Su-24 bombers have been redeployed to Russia from the airbase in Latakia.
“As part of the planned rotation of aircraft, four Su-25 attack aircraft from Russia, equipped with modern navigation and sighting systems, were really made part recently of the Russian air group at the Hmeymim airbase,” Konashenkov added.
Four Russian Su-25 close-air-support aircraft were spotted near the city of Hama in western Syria en route to the Russian Khmeimim Airbase in Latakia on January 10.
