MOSCOW, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Monday a pause of strikes against the Syrian city of Aleppo for eight hours on Thursday.
The humanitarian pause will be introduced from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. local time on Oct. 20, during which Russian Aerospace Forces and Syrian government troops will cease strikes, Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate, said here in Moscow.
He added that Moscow is ready to cease fire and provide medical personnel with unhindered access to Aleppo at the request of humanitarian groups at any time, and to guarantee the rescue of the injured and sick.
Russian warplanes and Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have been attacking the rebel-controlled districts of Aleppo since the collapse of the ceasefire agreement reached between Moscow and Washington last month.
