Moscow sees the liberation of Aleppo as an important step aimed at settling the situation in Syria while preserving its state institutions and territorial integrity, Tass news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying in a press briefing Tuesday.

"On December 22, Syrian troops seized the last quarters of eastern Aleppo that had remained under militants’ control. The militants had been evacuated from those districts. The Syrian Army Command announced that the city had been fully cleared of extremists and security had been restored," the spokeswoman pointed out.

"We believe the liberation of Aleppo from militants to be an important step aimed at settling the situation in Syria while preserving the country’s unity and territorial integrity and preventing the Syrian state institutions from degrading," Zakharova said.

According to her, although the militants destroyed many buildings, planted mines in many infrastructure facilities and left a large amount of ammunition, civilians in Aleppo have been gradually returning to peaceful life.

Source: MENA