Russian Military Police Arrive in Aleppo to Help Maintain Security - Russian MoD

A Russian military police battalion has made a forced march from the Hmeimim airbase to Aleppo to ensure security of Russian advisers, a demining squad and medics as well as to help Syrian authorities to maintain order in the liberated city, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the ministry, the battalion has been earlier airlifted to Syria after additional training.

"The battalion has conducted a forced march from the Hmeymim airbase to the city of Aleppo to carry out tasks as part of missions of the the Russian Center for Syrian reconciliation," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, the battalion, which is manned only with contracted soldiers, will ensure security of the reconciliation center's personnel, as well as Russian deminers and medics arriving in Aleppo.

"The battalion will also help Syrian authorities in Aleppo to maintain law and order in the liberated city," the ministry added.

On December 16, the Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation said that the Syrian army operation to liberate Aleppo's eastern neighborhoods was over, and that Syrian government troops were eliminating separate hotbeds of militants' resistance. On Thursday, the Syrian army declared victory in Aleppo as the last convoy with militants left the city's east.