By Paul Antonopoul
Another 276 military police officers and 33 military equipment will be sent to Syria to ensure compliance with its new commitments, a source from the Russian Ministry of Defense told Sputnik.
The information comes in the wake of the memorandum signed on Tuesday (22) between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Russian seaside resort of Sochi.
“Within a week, two additional battalions will be sent to Syria,” the source said.
Shortly after signing the memorandum, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shaigu stated that Russian military police resources in Syria were sufficient for the time being to undertake the agreed patrols, but in the near future more equipment would be needed.
At the time, the minister said his team was studying the need for additional troops.
Russian-Turkish Memorandum
According to point five of the memorandum signed by the presidents, Russian and Syrian forces must work together to ensure that Kurdish militias – the main target of Turkish operations – will retreat within 30 km of the Turkish border.
The withdrawal of the Kurdish militias should be carried out within 150 hours from Wednesday afternoon.
Following the withdrawal, Russian and Turkish forces will initiate joint patrols in the border region, with a maximum depth of 10 km in Syrian territory. Patrols will be conducted in the east and west of the area of the current Turkish Operation Peace Source, except for the city of al-Qamishli.
Meanwhile, displaced Russian military police in Syrian Aleppo province began patrolling north-eastern Manbij, a Russian army official told reporters.
According to the military representative, this area was patrolled by US troops, who withdrew to the Iraqi border at the beginning of Turkey’s operation in northeastern Syria 10 days ago.
The Sajur River acts as a contact line between the Syrian Armed Forces and anti-government armed groups supporting Ankara in its operation in Syria.
The Russian official added that there are also patrols southeast of Qeirata, near Qara Qozak, on the left bank of the Euphrates, beside the bridge and the road leading towards Mosul, Iraq.
Many people and goods cross the bridge. The nearest similar passage is more than 100 kilometers southeast in Raqqa, the official added.
