Telegram-channels "Ribar" and "Military informant", who have their sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense, informed that the commander of the Russian troops in Syria was replaced after the loss of the city of Aleppo by the Syrian government forces, BNR reported.
Before taking command in Syria, General Sergey Kissel commanded the 1st Tank Army in the battle for Kharkiv in 2022, which ended in victory for the Ukrainians.
According to unconfirmed information, he was replaced in Syria by another military leader criticized for failures in Ukraine - General Alexander Chaiko.
The Ministry of Defense in Moscow refuses to comment.
Russia has a naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus. In 2015, President Vladimir Putin intervened in the Syrian civil war on the side of President Bashar al-Assad. According to observers, Moscow's support for Assad has weakened significantly since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the disbandment of the "Wagner" group.
Russia is helping the Syrian army to "push back" rebel forces in three provinces in northern Syria where jihadists and rebels previously launched a large-scale offensive. This is said in a statement of the Russian army, quoted by France Press and BTA.
"The Syrian army, with the help of the Russian Aerospace Forces, continues its operation to repel terrorist aggression in the provinces of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo," said the statement, which also stated that "over the past 24/7 rocket strikes and shelling were carried out at places where fighters and equipment were gathered.
At least "320 fighters were eliminated," the Russian military claims.
According to the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the "White Helmets", which operates in opposition-held areas, at least 25 people were killed in northwest Syria in airstrikes carried out by the Syrian government and Russia on Sunday.< /p>
Russia earlier announced it was bombing rebel targets in Syria, with Russian warplanes bombing parts of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, for the first time since 2016, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Rights of man.
On Friday evening, rebels invaded the city of Aleppo, east of Idlib province, forcing the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad to withdraw, BTA recalls.
The Syrian army said it had retaken several towns that had been captured by rebels in recent days. The rebels are a coalition of Turkey-backed mainstream secular armed groups, as well as the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel alliance, which is the opposition's most powerful military force.
In a joint statement, the US, France, Germany and the UK called for a "de-escalation" of the fighting in Syria, where rebel groups have taken control of some territories in the northern part of the country in recent days, informs France Press.
"We call on all parties to reduce tensions and protect civilians and infrastructure to avoid further displacement and disruption of humanitarian aid delivery," the statement said.
"The Escalation" of the conflict emphasizes the "urgent need" from a "political decision", it also says, BTA reported.