Vladimir Putin has said Russia will withdraw the bulk of its forces from Syria following the "successful intervention" in the conflict there.
The announcement comes after the defence ministry said last week that Russia had “completely liberated” Syria from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), despite reports that the terrorist group still controls some remote territory there.
Speaking to soldiers at Russia's Khmeimim airbase during his first trip to Syria, where he was welcomed by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Mr Putin said he was ordering the defence minister and head of the general staff to begin withdrawing Russian forces to their home bases.
“In two-and-a-half years, Russia's military along with the Syrian army have defeated the most battle-worthy gang of international terrorists,” Mr Putin said. “In connection with this, I've made the decision that a significant part of the Russian military contingent located in the Syrian Arab Republic will return home to Russia.”
Moscow will continue to operate the Khmeimim airbase as well as its naval base in Tartus and will crush any further terrorist activities in Syria, he said.
“If the terrorists raise their head again, we will hit them with such strikes as they have never seen,” Mr Putin said. “We will never forget the casualties and losses that we suffered in the fight with terrorism here in Syria as well as at home in Russia.”
The president told his troops they were “returning with victory” to their homeland and loved ones.
Mr Putin's triumphant visit to Syria comes days after he said he would run for re-election in March, a vote that is expected to keep him in power until 2024, nearly as long as Joseph Stalin. He is expected to make Russia's more aggressive foreign policy and defiance of the West a centerpiece of his campaign.
The Kremlin has said Mr Putin will also travel to Egypt and Turkey and meet with their leaders on Monday as part of a strengthening of ties between Russia and the two countries. Russia has been drafting an agreement to deploy warplanes to Egypt, further increasing its presence in the Middle East.
Mr Putin has met Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he once denounced as a backstabber after Turkey shot down a Russian plane in 2015, four times in the past two months.
Russia's casualties have been mounting in Syria as its ground presence grew from advisers and military contractors to include special forces this fall, although the exact number of deaths remains secret.
In September, Russia's top military adviser was killed by a mortar strike, and two Russians who were reportedly working for a Russian private contractor were captured by Isil and executed in September.
Mr Putin announced an air campaign in September 2015 to support his ally, an intervention that has turned the tide of the war and positioned Russia as one of the most influential voices in talks to deterine Syria's future. Russia, Turkey and Iran have been holding rival negotiations to the Western-backed talks in Geneva.
Al-Assad visited Sochi last month, hugging his Russian counterpart and thanking him for “Russia's efforts to save our country”.