MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has started forming a permanent group in Syria's Tartus and Hmeymim, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during a conference call.
The Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, has ratified the agreement with Syria to expand the Russian naval facility in Syria's Tartus on December 26.
The statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's surprise visit to the Hmeymim airbase on December 11, and his order to start the withdrawal of the main part of Russian troop contingents in the region back to their permanent location, with the bases in Hmeymim and Tartus maintaining their operation.
The minister went on to say that the Russian armed forces are equipped with modern weapons at 59.5%, while the serviceability of weapons is at 94%. The anti-aircraft defense of the Hmeymim airbase is ensured by the cutting edge S-400 system, while S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, as well as the Bastion coastal missile systems with cruise missiles, cover the Russian Navy base in Tartus.