Staffan de Mistura spoke Wednesday, on the eve of planned talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and the opposition. De Mistura said he was "determined" to maintain "a very proactive momentum" in the talks, which will focus on new elections, a new constitution and governance in the country, riven by nearly six years of war. Shoigu said Russian pilots have flown 1,760 combat missions in Syria since the launch of the air campaign in September 2015, killing more than 3,100 militants, including 26 warlords.