Syria Expands Territorial Control Fourfold in Two Years With Russian Help

The Russian Aerospace Forces' campaign in Syria has helped expand the government's territorial control fourfold to over 30,000 square miles, the Russian General Staff said Friday.

PATRIOT PARK (Kubinka, Moscow Region), (Sputnik) — During the Russian Aerospace Forces operation, the territory controlled by government troops grew from 19,000 to 78,000 square kilometers, Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff chief Col. Gen. Sergey Rudskoy said.

Since the start of the campaign in September 2015, the Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out a total of 90,000 strikes on terrorists in Syria Rudskoy added while speaking at an Army-2017 forum roundtable,

"In total, since the beginning of the military operation, the Aerospace Forces have carried out more than 28,000 sorties and conducted some 90,000 airstrikes."

Rudskoy noted that the airstrikes caused significant damage to terrorists' command structure and logistics infrastructure.

"The main routes for supplying militants with weapons and ammunition have been blocked. Terrorist organizations lost financial support from the illegal sale of oil products," he added.

Speaking on Russia's air capaign in Syria on Friday, Russian Armed Forces' group commander Col. Gen. Sergei Surovikin said that the anti-terrorist until the full destruction of terrorists in the Arab republic.

Syria has been mired in civil war since March 2011, with government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition factions and extremist groups operating in the country, including Daesh. Since September 30, 2015, Russia has been conducting an aerial campaign against terrorists in Syria at Assad's request.