President Bashar al-Assad congratulated his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the occasion of the Russian Defenders of the Fatherland Day. President al-Assad said in a telegram published by the Presidency of the Republic on its Instagram page: 'Through you, I convey my congratulations to the Russian military establishment, which shows high efficiency and effectiveness in defending Russia's lands and protecting its national interests. President al-Assad hailed the heroism of the Russian armed forces and their courage showed in the Syrian-Russian battle waged against terrorism on Syrian soil. President al-Assad said that the great accomplishments achieved on the ground are one of the aspects of effective cooperation that links the military establishment in the two countries. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency