MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian military are asking President Vladimir Putin to allow renewed airstrikes on militants in eastern Aleppo, Syria, the Russian General Staff said Friday.
"Due to the fact that civilians continue to die, militants have renewed active hostilities against government forces, we have appealed to the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces to resume airstrikes on illegal armed groups in eastern Aleppo," Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said.
On October 20, a humanitarian pause was introduced in the embattled city of Aleppo to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians from eastern Aleppo via eight designated corridors. During the humanitarian pause, al-Nusra Front terrorist group, recently renamed as Jabhat Fatah al Sham (outlawed in Russia), prevented civilians from fleeing the city, attacking them. On Sunday, the government forces started offensive in the south of Aleppo after the end of the humanitarian pause.
