Moscow loses nearly all in Syria as Russian forces leave former US base in Manbij

Russian troops have left army bases in northern Syria, The Washington Post reports.

It goes about two military facilities in the settlements of Manbij and Kobani. The first base initially belonged to the American military, but after their departure in 2019, the facility was occupied by the Russian Armed Forces. Russian soldiers used the base as a transit point when patrolling territories.

The base in the city of Kobani was used to monitor the ceasefire agreement on the Turkish-Syrian border. Russian troops were deployed at the facility as part of an agreement concluded between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in March 2020.

The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and the rise of militants to power in the country have threatened Russia's military presence in the country and in the whole region.

The loss of the bases in Tartus and Khmeimim may have a significant impact on the Russian fleet as Russia has been trying to maintain permanent presence in the eastern Mediterranean. Otherwise, Russia would have to redeploy ships and submarines to the Baltic Sea, Janes analysts said.

New Syrian leadership may turn its back on Russia

Kirill Semenov, an orientalist and expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, the new Syrian leadership, represented by rebels and Islamists, has not given Moscow any guarantees regarding the Russian military bases in Tartus and Latakia.

The new Syrian leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the head of a group that is banned in the Russian Federation, is known as a tough politician who will do everything to retain power, the expert said. Semenov believes that Julani would be willing to cooperate with other countries that are not interested in Russia's military presence in Syria.

Details

Khmeimim Air Base is a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. The airbase shares some airfield facilities with Bassel Al-Assad International Airport. The legal status of the base is regulated by a treaty Russia and Syria signed in August 2015. At the end of 2017, Russia said it had decided to turn the Khmeimim base into a component of its permanent military contingent stationed in Syria. During the late stages of the Syrian civil war, following 2024 Syrian opposition offensives and the military offensive of a Turkish-backed coalition of forces organized as the Syrian National Army, the Assad regime fell and the Russian base in Latakia came under threat. On 7 December 2024, it was reported that Russia was preparing to evacuate its assets from the airbase. Russian forces were observed transferring S-400 and Tor air defence systems to their naval base at Tartus. On 8 December, Russian control of the airbase was under serious threat from advancing rebel forces.