A battalion of Russian military police has been sent to Syria from the Republic of Ingushetia, a Russian region in the North Caucasus, the regional head was quoted as saying by the news agency RIA on Monday.
Unus-Bek Yevkurov also said, according to RIA, that the police will provide security for the Russian air force and the "center for reconciliation" in Syria.
It was not immediately clear how many troops the battalion represents.