Putin signs decree authorizing deployment of Russian Air Force to Syria
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree specifying which aviation units of the Russian Armed Forces will be deployed in Syria. The corresponding document was published on the Kremlin's website on October 14th.
The document ratifies an agreement signed by Russia and Syria in Damascus on August 26, 2015. The agreement is in effect for an indefinite period and is applied provisionally from the date the agreement was signed.
According to the document, the aviation groups are located in Syria "at the request of the Syrians" and are stationed at the Hmeymim airfield in the Latakia province, which is available for use by the Russian Federation free of charge.
"The activities of the Russian aviation group are being conducted in accordance with the decision of its commander, following the plans agreed upon by the parties .... Syria makes no claims against the Russian Federation, its aviation group and its personnel and will not raise any claims against them in connection with the activities of the Russian aviation group and its personnel," the document says.
The day before, during the plenary session, the Federation Council of Russia ratified the Russian-Syrian agreement on the indefinite deployment of aviation units of the Russian Armed Forces in Syria. 158 members of the upper house voted in favor of the agreement, one abstained.