Moscow Surrounds Its Presence in Syria with a “Shield of Mystery”

---

Russia has maintained a vague stance regarding the continuation of its military bases in Syria as events on the ground unfold unfavorably for it.

• Confrontations between Turkish and Kurdish forces and Russia sent more officers to Syria

• Russia and Iran expressed their concerns about Syrian and Libyan fighters in Nagorno-Karabakh

The Kremlin stated on Monday that no final decision has been made regarding its military bases in Syria.

Four Syrian officials told Reuters earlier this week that Russia is pulling its troops from the front lines in northern Syria and from positions in the Alawite mountains, but it has not yet withdrawn from its main bases after the end of the rule of its ally, Bashar al-Assad.

This statement from the Kremlin follows the observation of equipment and troops being transferred from Russian bases in Syria to Libya.

• Decoys and Fake Helicopters: New Details Emerge About al-Assad’s Escape from Syria

• Secret Turkish Deals with Russia and Iran Accelerated al-Assad’s fall

On Sunday, Russia announced that it had evacuated some diplomats from Damascus, along with diplomats from Belarus and North Korea, on a special flight by the Russian Air Force from the Hmeimim Airbase.

Last week, Moscow confirmed that it was in contact with Syrian armed factions, whose leaders were ensuring the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic premises.

The rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ended after armed factions entered the capital, Damascus, on December 8, following a major offensive launched on November 27, during which they took control of the Aleppo, Hama, Homs governorates, and then Damascus.

• Syria, Victim of its Geography: Why Does It Continue to Suffer?

• Russia Reduces Military Presence in Syria Following al-Assad’s fall

Russia clarified that it had welcomed Bashar al-Assad and granted him asylum for humanitarian reasons, complicating its relations with the current Syrian administration.

Russia has two military bases in Syria: the first, a naval base in Tartous, and the second, an air base at Hmeimim in the Latakia countryside. It also maintains Russian troops in several areas of Syria, either as military advisers or military police.

On Sunday, Reuters reported the words of a Syrian security official stationed outside the Russian airbase in Latakia, who said that a Russian cargo plane left the Hmeimim base heading to Libya on Saturday.

• The fall of al-Assad’s Regime: Will It Affect Russia’s Influence in the Region?

• After Al-Assad’s Fall… Syria Closes Its Doors to the Houthis

More Russian planes are expected to take off from the airbase near the Tartous base, which recently saw Russian warships depart.

Russia has found a foothold in the “warm waters” of the Mediterranean through its military presence in Syria, which has strengthened in recent years.

Satellite images published by Maxar after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad by armed factions show that Russia seems to be accumulating military equipment at the airbase in Syria.

• Washington Follows the Events in Syria… What about “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham”?

• A New Study Outlines Possible Scenarios for Syria’s Future

The images, taken last Friday according to Reuters, show what appear to be two Antonov AN-124 aircraft, one of the largest cargo planes in the world, with their noses open at the Hmeimim Airbase in the coastal province of Latakia.

Maxar stated, “Two AN-124 heavy transport planes are present at the airport, their noses open and ready to load equipment.”

It added, “Nearby, a Ka-52 attack helicopter is being dismantled, likely in preparation for transport, while parts of the S-400 air defense system are similarly prepared to leave their previous deployment site at the airbase.”

• Ukraine and Lebanon: Two Separate Wars That Changed Syria’s Fate

• Timeline of Events in Syria: How Did Damascus Fall into Rebel Hands?

Maxar also clarified that the Russian naval base in Tartous, Russia’s only repair and maintenance center in the Mediterranean, “remains largely unchanged since our coverage of images on December 10, with two frigates still being observed off the coast of Tartous.”

The British Channel 4 news station reported seeing a convoy of more than 150 Russian military vehicles moving along a road, adding that the Russian army appeared to be moving in an orderly fashion and that an agreement seemed to have been reached to allow the Russian forces to exit Syria in an organized manner.

• Russia Accuses Ukraine of Arming Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

• Hama Countryside: Massive Syrian Army Reinforcements and “Mass Fleeing” of Militants