"The delivery of the UN humanitarian goods under the cover of Russian fighters was successful," the Russian military said in a statement.
Over the weekend, an IL-76 cargo plane dropped pallets of food and medicine for the 200,000 residents of the Syrian city of Deir Ezzor. The city is in the heart of territory held by Daesh, also known as IS/Islamic State, and the humanitarian mission was accompanied by Russian Su-30s.
"The Russian fighter jets’ escorts in the Syrian skies of Russian transport company’s aircraft, which at the UN’s request are carrying out deliveries and airdrop of relief supplies to the much necessitous population in remote and besieged areas of the Syrian Arab Republic, will take place over this week," the statement reads.
The UN began delivering supplies to Deir Ezzor in February, though the Russian government began its own humanitarian missions in the region six weeks prior.
"The inhabitants are gradually coming back to Syrian cities and peaceful life is returning," Lt. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy, the head of the Russian General Staff operations department, told reporters earlier this year.
"In this context, the implementation of humanitarian operations will be a new line of work for the Russian armed forces in Syria."
Earlier this month, the Russian Air Force also accompanied a Syrian humanitarian mission to Deir Ezzor.
"The cargo delivery was carried out from the Hmeymim airfield using the Il-76 aircraft of the Syrian Air Force, accompanied by Russian Su-30 and Su-35 fighters," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Located roughly 280 northeast of Damascus, Deir Ezzor has been under Daesh control since May 2015. The terrorist group has cut off ground supply lines to the city and has routinely intercepted aid packages meant for civilians.
