Today was held the official ceremony for the decoration of some Russian soldiers who participated in the operations in Syria against the self-styled Islamic State.
During the ceremony, during his speech, President Putin underlined the "crucial" role played by Russia in the defeat of the jihadists in Syria, where ISIS has lost almost the entire territory occupied since 2014.
Putin, addressing those present, said that "Russia has made a crucial contribution in the defeat of the criminal forces that have challenged the entire civilization, destroying the terrorist army of a barbaric dictatorship, these forces sowed death and destruction and aspired to Syria and neighboring countries are fertile ground for global aggression against our country ”.
In mid-December, after defining the mission "brilliantly accomplished", Putin ordered the partial withdrawal of the Russian troops present in the Middle Eastern country, deployed in support of Bashar al-Assad's army.