The Ministry of Defence will open a new humanitarian passage in Syria. It'll be located in a Damascus suburb.
Artyom Potyomin, will explain why it is necessary and what other measures are being taken for de-escalation in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Following the order of the Commander-in-Chief, according to the decision made by the UN, a daily humanitarian pause will be held in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb. It will allow civilians to escape dangerous regions using special passages. The ceasefire will run from 9 AM to 2 PM. This is done mainly to avoid civilian casualties. Russian officers will ensure the safety of this operation from the air and from the land. Eastern Ghouta is not the only trouble zone in Syria to require immediate interference.
Sergey Shoygu. Russia's Minister of Defence: "We know there's a Rukban refugee camp controlled by the US. We offer similar humanitarian passages and pauses for the Al-Tanf Rukban camp to ensure that civilians can freely return to their homes. It will allow them to rebuild their houses and have their peaceful lives back".
The most complicated situation is in Raqqa, the militants' former capital. We can't yet evaluate just how serious it is. Neither the press nor humanitarian organizations are allowed into the city. As far as we know, there are blind shells and dead bodies in the streets. There's a danger of an epidemic. Moscow offers to create an International Evaluation Committee under the UN wing to prevent the situation from becoming hopeless.
Sergey Shoygu. Russia's Minister of Defence: "I think that... just like during other operations held by the Armed Forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, we'll be able to facilitate escape for the civilians, who, until now, haven't been let out by multiple groups of militants, who'd use civilians as human shields to protect their own divisions and actions".
Also, current issues were discussed at the meeting, in particular, preparations for the upcoming election. The Minister mentioned that all necessary conditions for military votes, regardless of their locations, have been met. They also covered the growth of one of the secret forces, COMJAM. According to the head of the department, over the past 5 years, divisions of COMJAM have received over 600 kits of new generation equipment. It is studied on proving grounds during training sessions. For the first time since the USSR, large-scale maneuvers were held, engaging soldiers from Russia and Belarus, Electron-2016.
Sergey Shoygu. Russia's Minister of Defence: "Training results, as well as electronic device user skills in Syria, are accounted for in the latest regulations of the COMJAM forces. By 2021, COMJAM forces are to be 95% staffed, and armed with modern equipment at 70%".
Routine development of military infrastructure continues from South to the Arctic. For instance, over 500 objects have been built in the Far North. The plans for this year are even more ambitious. In the interests of the Ministry of Defence, over 3,500 buildings and structures are to be built all over the country.
Artyom Potemin, Ilya Naletov, Andrey Yurchuk, Vesti.
