Valery Gerasimov

The chief of the Russian army's general staff, Valery Gerasimov, will visit Ankara on Sept.

Syrian troops recaptured a military airport and nearby town east of Damascus on Dec. 14, more than three years after they were overrun by rebel groups, a military source said. 

"The Syrian army has taken full control of the town of Marj al-Sultan and its airport in Eastern Ghouta," a rebel bastion east of the capital, the military source said, according to Reuters. 

Russia's top general said on Jan. 30 a strong nuclear arsenal will ensure military superiority over the West as Moscow forges ahead with a multi-billion dollar plan to modernise its forces by 2020.
   

The European Union put Russian Deputy Premier Dmitry Kozak on an expanded sanctions list, joining the US in protesting Russia's actions in Ukraine.