Russia and Turkey concluded the Sochi agreement in the Russian city of Sochi near the Black Sea in September 2018. One of the most important clauses was “the establishment of a demilitarized zone in the Idlib governorate in northwestern Syria” to stop the clashes between the Syrian regime forces and the opposition factions.
However, this agreement did not hold for long. A military escalation at the end of April 2019 saw Syrian regime forces — backed by Russian air cover — launch an attack on northwestern Syria. The regime managed to advance to Maarat al-Numan in southern Idlib province, a clear breach of Article 2 of the Sochi agreement, which stipulates, “The Russian Federation will take all necessary measures to ensure that military operations and attacks on Idlib will be avoided and that the existing status quo will be maintained.”