The Russian army announced today that tens of thousands of its members fought in the war in Syria.
The Ministry of Defense stated that more than 63.000 Russian soldiers fought in Syria, including 434 generals, and that more than 90 percent of Russian military pilots participated in missions in Syria.
The Russian military has used the operations to test some of its most advanced weapons, including fighter jets and cruise missiles.
Since 2015, Russia has been militarily intervening in Syria on the side of Bashar al-Assad's government, which it helped liberate large parts of the territory held by extremists until then.
The war was turned in Assad's favor by Russian intervention, so the government in Damascus now controls almost two-thirds of Syria, compared to one-third in 2014.
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