Russian Servicemen Provide Residents Of Syria's Raqqa With Humanitarian Aid

RAQQA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2019) Russian servicemen have provided residents of the Syrian city of Raqqa with humanitarian aid for the first time since its liberation from the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), a Sputnik correspondent reported from the site on Monday.

The Russian servicemen gave local residents 2,000 food kits. Russian doctors are ready to provide civilians with medical assistance.

Vladimir Varnavsky, an officer from the Russian Center for Syrian reconciliation, told reporters that the city remained significantly ruined after the battle in it, which took place in 2017.

"The infrastructure of the city was fully destroyed during the US-led international coalition's operation on its liberation.

Thousands of civilians were killed by indiscriminate airstrikes and artillery strikes. The debris has not been cleared yet, the territory [of the city] has not been de-mined, there is also a shortage in fresh water, medicines and food products," Varnavsky said.

Russia - along with Turkey and Iran - is a guarantor of the ceasefire in conflict-affected Syria. Moscow also regularly carries out humanitarian operations across the country and helps Damascus in providing safe passage for the return of Syrian refugees.