Russian President Vladimir Putin said a complete victory had been achieved over the Islamic State on both banks of the Euphrates river. In comments released by the Kremlin, Putin announced that the military operation in the area was now complete, and that the focus would switch to a political process that would eventually involve presidential and parliamentary elections. President Putin did not specify whether he was referring to the end of military operations in the whole of Syria, or just the areas around the Euphrates valley.
Russia’s military intervention in Syria’s civil war, in 2015 has turned the tide of the conflict in favor of Moscow’s ally Syrian President Bashar Assad, and against rebel groups and Jihadists fighting to oust him.