Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that Russian and Syrian air forces had stopped airstrikes on Aleppo from 1000 local time (0700 GMT), ahead of the announced "humanitarian pause" scheduled for Oct. 20.

 

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Monday that a pause in strikes on Syria's largest city would be in force on Thursday, from 0800 (0500 GMT) until 1600, to allow civilians and rebels to leave the city.

 

Military experts will meet in Geneva on Wednesday to begin work on separating "terrorists" from Syria's opposition, Russia's state Rossiya 24 channel showed Shoigu saying.