This ends our live blogging for February 22. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our our continuing coverage.
Russia congratulates its military in Syria on Defender of the Fatherland Day
Russia's Defense Minster Sergei Shoigu has congratulated Russian military personnel in Syria on Defender of the Fatherland Day, an annual holiday observed in Russia and several other former Soviet republics on Feb. 23.
Shoigu's comments reflect Moscow's narrative of linking the Russian air campaign in Syria with Russian national security -- and, of course, with Russian patriotism and prestige. The Defense Minister places Russia as the leading power fighting "international terrorism" on the global stage:
"On this Defender of the Fatherland Day you are far from home, at the forefront of the fight against international terrorism," Shoigu said in a video address to Russian military personnel in Syria.
"By carrying out the orders of the Supreme Commander, you are protecting the national interests of our country, and contributing to the achievement of peace on the Syrian soil," Shoigu added.
Syrian gov't accepts ceasefire deal: AFP
Islamic State attack shuts Syrian gov't supply route for second day
An important Syrian government supply route to Aleppo was shut for a second day on Tuesday because of an Islamic State attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Syria gov't: military ops to continue against IS, Nusra
The Syrian government has said in a statement that it accepts a temporary ceasefire on the basis that military operations will continue against IS and the Al-Nusra Front, initial reports say.
Syrian gov't accepts halt to "combat operations"
Reuters has more on the Syrian government's statement accepting a ceasefire to start at the weekend.
Damascus said it accepted a halt to "combat operations" in line with a U.S.-Russian plan and said it would coordinate with Russia to decide which groups and areas would be included.
The Syrian government said in a statement it stressed the importance of sealing the borders and halting foreign support to armed groups, and "preventing these organizations from strengthening their capabilities or changing their positions, in order to avoid what may lead to wrecking this agreement".
In emotional post, Russia's Foreign Ministry spox recalls Russian pilot killed after Turkey shot down jet
Maria Zakharova, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, has published a post on Facebook in which she emotionally recalls the November 24 downing of a Russian jet in Syria, in which the pilot was killed. (Zakharova talks as if more than one serviceman was killed, though Russia has said that only the pilot died after being shot down by rebels as he parachuted from the downed plane, and that the navigator was rescued.
Zakharova describes the pilot as fighting "for everyone" in Syria -- in line with Moscow's narrative that its air operation in Syria is part of a global war on terror which Russia is leading.
Since the post offers interesting insights into how Russia sees the plane downing and how it sees its role in Syria, I have translated Zakharova's post and posted the original in Russian as well:
3 months ago on November 24, 2015, our men died in the skies over Syria.
They perished terribly because it was terribly unfair.
I clearly remember that day. We were supposed to fly to Turkey. The news came when I was still at work. All the way to Vnukovo-2, I clarified the details -- it was impossible to believe what happened. I remember how at the airport I told colleagues the latest news. No one could believe it. Because it was impossible to believe even by those who have been working for 30-40 years and who have seen it all. Then there were several of endless hours of waiting. Then there was what happened next: Turkey instead of doing the only possible thing to do in this situation and saying words of regret and sympathy, convened a meeting of NATO, the Russian delegation canceled its visit to Turkey.
You know what happened next.
Intellectually, I realize that every day people die or are killed, including those carrying out their duties, hundreds of people. Especially when it comes to the military. But this is a special story. Our guys were there were not only "for us," they were there "for everyone."
Honestly, this story flipped something inside me. As if it is now always with me.
Italy agrees to let anti-IS drones depart from Sicily: Reuters
Italy has agreed to let armed U.S. drones take off from an air base in Sicily on a case-by-case basis for defensive missions against IS militants in North Africa, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has said, Reuters report.
"If it is a matter of operations against terrorists, against potential Islamic State attackers, there is a close relationship between us and the other allies, above all the Americans," Renzi said in an interview with RTL radio.
Syria ceasefire requires 'halting support to armed groups': Damascus
Syrian state news agency SANA has more details of the Syrian government's response to a ceasefire proposal to start Feb. 27.
SANA quotes an official source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry as saying that Damascus "accepts the cessation of fighting actions on the basis of continuing the military efforts for combating terrorism against IS, the Al-Nusra Front and other Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organizations according to the Russian-U.S. agreement."
The source added that for ensuring the success of cessation of fighting actions on the scheduled day: Saturday 27/02/2016, the Syrian government affirms readiness to continue to coordinate with the Russian side for identifying the areas and the armed groups that are to be included in the cessation along the period it is in effect.
The source noted that the Syrian government stresses the importance of border curbing, halting support provided by some countries to the armed groups and preventing these organizations from boosting their capabilities or changing their positions as to avoid anything that may undermine this agreement.
It asserted that the Syrian government is adherent to the right of its armed forces to retaliate any violation committed by these groups against the Syrian citizens or its armed forces as well.
Turkey welcomes Syria plan but not optimistic on peace talks
Turkey has welcomed a plan to halt the fighting in Syria but is not optimistic that peace talks on a political resolution will have a positive outcome, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has said, according to Reuters.