The early stages of a military withdrawal from Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad have reportedly now potentially been indicated by the fact that Russian troops were preparing to load cargo at Moscow’s primary air base in Syria, as indicated by Maxar satellite imaging.
The images indicated that two An-124 heavy transport aircraft were at the air base, with their nose cones raised and ready to carry cargo.
A Ka-52 attack helicopter and an S-400 air-defense system were being disassembled in the vicinity, presumably for transportation.
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Moscow has made contact with the new political leadership of Syria in order to negotiate permission to continue using the Khmeimim base and a naval installation in Tartus, which Moscow has been using since the Cold War. This occurred on Thursday. Moscow has not disclosed the status of the negotiations.
The two bases had become synonymous with Russia’s intervention in Syria, which employed ferocious air power to strike the opposition groups that were aligned against Assad.
Russia declared their intention to employ the bases under the new Syrian leadership to strike Islamic State, which maintains enclaves of resistance in eastern Syria.
The loss of Khmeimim and Tartus would be a significant setback for Russia, necessitating that it explore alternative bases, such as in Algeria, Sudan, or Libya.
However, Moscow has limited alternatives that provide comparable benefits to Syria’s Tartus port, which is one of the few warm-water locations that are easily accessible.
Both bases were essential to the Kremlin’s endeavors to extend its influence into the East Mediterranean and Africa.
Russia’s initial success in Syria served as a model for its intervention in other countries, including Sudan, Libya, and Mali. In the Central African Republic, Wagner mercenaries helped defend President Faustin-Archange Touadéra from rebel groups.
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