Russian Lawmakers' Delegation Visits Hmeymim Base, Aleppo in Syria

A delegation of Russian lawmakers have visited the country's Hmeymim airbase in Latakia as well as the recently liberated city of Aleppo, State Duma member Sergei Gavrilov said Thursday.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — The delegation included Gavrilov, who is the chair of the Russian lower house committee on civil society development, alongside two other lawmakers as well as two oncologists. The group arrived in Syria's capital Damascus on a humanitarian mission on Monday, where they met President Bashar Assad, ministers and Syrian lawmakers.

"We visited out airbase in Hmeymim and visited Aleppo," Gavrilov told reporters.

On December 16, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Syrian army's operation to liberate militants-controlled eastern Aleppo ended, however, several hotbeds of militants' resistance remained.

On December 22, last militants left eastern Aleppo, thus the Syrian army gained full control over the city. Syrian President Bashar Assad called the liberation of Aleppo a "watershed moment."