Russian troops in northern Syria carried out aerial patrols around the city of Tal Rifaat to consolidate their position, sources said Sunday.

The Russian forces are also trying to establish a defense system at Qamishli Airport in the northern Hassakeh province, which is largely under the occupation of the PKK terrorist organization's Syrian offshoot, the YPG.

Russian military helicopters have been conducting intermittent reconnaissance flights over the YPG/PKK-occupied Tal Rifaat since the beginning of the week.

The Russian forces are also trying to prevent Iran-backed terrorist groups from increasing their influence in Tal Rifaat.

Moreover, Russian authorities did not allow Iranians who wanted to attend a meeting with regime officials and the YPG/PKK ringleaders on May 30.

On the same day, with Grad missile launchers, Russian soldiers did not let Iranian-backed terrorist groups enter Tal Rifaat from Nubl and al-Zahraa towns, located southwest of Tal Rifaat and are under the control of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

When the Iran-backed groups attempted to enter the Menagh military air base on May 31, Russian forces warned the terrorist group and the regime not to allow the groups to enter the area.

Russian forces are normally deployed in a place known as Faisal Mill, 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) west of Tal Rifaat.

A small number of Russian military units are stationed at the airport that remains under the control of the Assad regime in the town of Qamishli, which is largely under the occupation of YPG/PKK in the Hassakeh province.

The Russian army, which landed at the airport with a military cargo plane on Friday, brought the Pantsir-S1 short and medium-range air defense system.

On the other hand, there has been an increase in the number of Russian soldiers in Ain Isa, Tal Tamr, Manbij, Ain al-Arab and the Qamishli regions of Syria.

Russia, which rented Khmeimim Air Base from Syria, also uses the naval facility at Tarsus, a Syrian city on the Mediterranean coast.