Russian warplanes, based on Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser, destroyed 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria over 2 months, commander of the Russian military group in the country Col. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov told journalists on Friday.
“Over two months, naval aviation pilots carried out 420 sorties (including 117 at night). Nearly all sorties were accompanied by severe hydrometeorological conditions. A total of 1,252 terrorist targets in Syria were destroyed,” Kartapolov said.
Now, the Russian Navy is returning Admiral Kuznetsov and its battlegroup from the Mediterranean to its home base in Russia’s Severomorsk, the chair of the Russian General Staff, Army Gen. Valery Gerasimov, announced on Friday.
The move comes as Russia begins reducing its military presence in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial pullout of military forces from Syria after the announcement of the ceasefire deal in Syria in December, 2016.
