YEREVAN, OCTOBER 20, ARMENPRESS. Russia has decided to extend the humanitarian pause around Aleppo, Syria, for another 24 hours, the Russian defense minister has said. The move met with full approval from Damascus, RT reported.

“On an order from the commander-in-chief of the Russian military, Vladimir Putin, we have decided to extend the humanitarian pause for one more day. The extension of the humanitarian pause in Aleppo was supported by the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic,” Sergey Shoigu said.

This week, Russia paused its joint offensive with Syrian government troops on eastern Aleppo, which is held by an assortment of armed groups, including Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda offshoot. The goal is to allow people wishing to leave the city to do so, including both civilians and militants, who were offered separate corridors to leave Aleppo with their arms.

Moscow wants to curb casualties and damage to the rebel-held part of the city, and to allow the level of violence to be reduced in the hope of an eventual ceasefire.

Washington and its allies accuse Russia of indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets in eastern Aleppo, claiming they amount to war crimes. Moscow denies the allegations and says the US is at least partially to blame for the continued violence. The Americans failed to force ‘moderate rebels’ to stop mingling with terrorist groups and observe a ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia last month, Moscow said.