Syrian government forces rolled into a key region held by U.S.-backed Kurds, winning praise from Russia and heading off a threatened Turkish advance as Moscow and its allies move quickly to fill the void left by a planned U.S. pullout.
Syria's army command said its units entered the Manbij area at the request of its residents, according to state television. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomed the return of government forces to the area, which has been controlled by the Kurdish YPG, a group Turkey views as the Syrian extension of a domestic terrorist organization.
"This is definitely a positive step in the direction of stabilizing the situation," Peskov told reporters on a conference call after the Syrian announcement.