HEMEIMEEM AIR BASE, Syria (AP) Feb. 29, 2016 – Dozens of Russian warplanes sat idle Tuesday on the tarmac at this Russian air base in Syria on the fourth day of a cease-fire brokered by Moscow and Washington.
The apparent lull in action witnessed by the AP on a trip to the base, which was organized by the Russian defense and foreign ministries, contrasts with the hectic operation AP reporters saw here on a previous visit in January.
The cease-fire that began at midnight Friday has brought a notable reduction in hostilities for the first time in the five-year war that has killed more than 250,000 people, displaced half of Syria’s population and flooded Europe with refugees.
But the truce has remained highly fragile with violations reported in many areas with the opposition and the Syrian government blaming each other.
During the five-month Russian air blitz that began on Sept.30, each jet flew several combat sorties on an average day, amounting to an impressive total of more than 6,000 missions
The U.S.-Russian-brokered truce agreement achieves Putin’s key strategic goal of having Moscow appear as an equal partner of Washington in tackling the Syrian crisis.
The deal raises Russia’s global clout, allows Putin to appear as a peacemaker and marks the first time Russia has engaged the U.S. in a military-to-military dialogue since the start of the Ukrainian crisis two years ago.