Wednesday’s announcement comes two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military to withdraw most of its fighting forces from Syria, signaling an end to Russia’s five-and-a-half month air campaign.
The pullout from the Hemeimeen base coincides with the resumption of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and the representatives of the moderate, Western-Backed opposition, AP reported.
On the ground, a cease-fire has been in effect since late February. Extremist factions — such as the Daesh (ISIL) group or the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front — are not part of the truce.
Russia didn’t indicate when the next group of planes will leave or how many will be pulled out.