Nikolai Pankov
Russia says to create permanent naval base in Syria's Tartus
Russia intends to establish a permanent naval base on the site of an existing facility it leases at the Syrian port of Tartus, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said on Oct. 10, Russian news agencies reported.
Russia mulls restoring military bases in Vietnam and Cuba
Russia is considering plans to resume its military presence in Vietnam and Cuba where Moscow earlier had military bases, Russian news agencies quoted Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov as saying on Oct. 7.
"We are dealing with this issue," the agencies quoted Pankov as saying in the State Duma lower house of Russia's parliament, according to Reuters.
Russia starts withdrawing air force deployed in Syria
The first of Moscow's warplanes landed back in Russia from Syria on March 15 at the start of a surprise withdrawal that Western governments hope could boost United Nations-brokered peace talks ongoing in Geneva by pressuring the Syrian government.
U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura described the pullout as a "significant development" for peace negotiations.