Using ground troops in Syria is out of the question, the Russian president said in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV. Russia’s air operation has been thoroughly prepared and is aimed merely at aiding the Syrian Army’s offensive, he said.
“Whatever happens, we’re not going to do this [ground operation] and our Syrian friends are well aware of it,” President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russian TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.
The primary task of the Russian operation in Syria is “stabilizing the legitimate authority in this country and creating conditions to look for political compromise,” President Putin said.