Russia has set up a helicopter base at an airport in the north-eastern Syrian city of Qamishli, the Russian Defense Ministry's Zvezda TV channel said on Thursday, a move designed to increase Moscow's control over events on the ground there.
Two Mi-35 helicopter gunships were shown flying low over desert terrain before landing at the new base, which is protected by mobile Pantsir surface-to-air missile systems.
Only three helicopters, including an Mi-8 military transport helicopter, have so far been deployed to the new facility, Zvezda said, but more will follow.