MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. Russia will not leave Syria in the lurch and it will continue to provide assistance to Damascus although Ukraine has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft, the chairman of the State Duma’s defence committee, Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov told TASS on Thursday.

Earlier in the day Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that Kiev had tightened control of the traffic of Russian planes to Syria.

"Russia has always managed to devise an alternative solution. It has never abandoned its friends. Ukraine may betray others. Russia will go ahead with its support for Syria and its people," Komoyedov said.