moscow president vladimir putin fly syria order significant part moscow military contingent start withdraw monday declare work largely do putin poll show re-elected comfortably march make announcement surprise visit russia hmeymim air base syria first since russia intervene conflict hold talk president bashar al-assad address russian force first leg three-country one-day whirlwind diplomatic visit see putin also meet egyptian turkish counterparts putin keen leverage heighten middle east influence syria give cast leader diplomacy well military force kremlin first launch air strike syria september 2015 big middle east intervention decades turn tide conflict assad favor regard mission complete putin want help broke peace deal two years russia arm force syrian army defeat battle-hardened group international terrorists putin tell russian servicemen significant part russian force could return home condition political solution auspices unite nations create say putin motherland await washington skeptical putin statement russian comment removal force often correspond actual troop reductions affect u.s. priorities syria say pentagon spokesman eric pahon putin make clear case russia would retain enough firepower destroy possible islamic state comeback syrian state television quote assad thank putin russia help say blood moscow martyr mix blood syrian army also show two men watch call victory parade russian troop dress desert uniform march past russia main contribution air strike iran-backed shi ite militias much fight grind partial russian withdrawal may make huge difference come military situation russia campaign extensively cover state tv home catch imagination russians stir unease kind soviet union face calamitous 1980s afghanistan intervention use private military contractors something document reuters deny defense ministry allow moscow keep public casualty toll fairly low officially less 50 russian service personnel kill campaign real number include private contractors estimate much high russia mission accomplish moment syria may help putin increase turnout march presidential election appeal patriotism voters though poll show easily win also show russians increasingly apathetic politics putin supporters keen get re-elected big turnout eye confer legitimacy putin help state tv dominate russia political landscape last 17 years tell russian servicemen would return home victors speak front row servicemen hold russian flag putin say military prove might moscow succeed keep syria intact sovereign independent state congratulate putin tell servicemen putin keen organize special event russia syrian congress national dialogue moscow hop bring together syrian government opposition try hammer new constitution ask putin announcement yahya aridi spokesman syrian opposition geneva say welcome step bring syria close real peace putin make clear however russia might draw much force military presence syria permanent one would retain enough firepower destroy islamic state comeback russia keep hmeymim air base syria latakia province naval facility syrian mediterranean port tartous permanent basis say putin base protect sophisticate air defense missile systems putin tell military begin withdraw 25 aircraft detachment russian military police detachment russian special force military field hospital de-mining center however russia announce partial force draw-downs late bring different capabilities see announcements turn less significant might initially appear say one european diplomat decline name significant contribution russia make advance peace syria pressure assad regime engage seriously geneva peace talk absent suspicion announcement may russian politics syrian situation putin syria say mission accomplish order partial russian pull-out