On Thursday, six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers which took off in Russia attacked Daesh in areas south-east, north and north-east of the city of Raqqa in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The aircraft destroyed ammo and oil depots, a chemical weapons factory and a major training filed dealing a heavy blow to the terrorists' facilities and manpower.
Russia has been conducting a counterterrorist campaign in Syria since September 30, 2015, at President Bashar Assad's request. On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Defense Ministry to withdraw the bulk of the Russian military contingent from Syria.