It was under siege by militants for over three years.
The Russian centre for reconciliation between the warring parties told journalists that there is currently a mass spike in the return of civilians to the town. This is largely due to a pontoon bridge over the Euphrates River, which was built last fall by Syrian specialists with the help of the Russian military. The construction was erected to replace the century-old bridge destroyed by militants.
About 85% of Deir ez Zor constructions were destroyed by air strikes of the international coalition led by the US. According to Russian military information, local authorities are ready to restore the city on their own, but there are not enough people for it.
About 200,000 people currently live in Deir ez-Zor. In 2014-2017, the city was under siege by militants of the ISIS terrorist organization.