Russian Delegation Arrives in Syria for the First Time After Assad Regime Fall

A Russian delegation has arrived in Syria, with their plane landing in Damascus, RIA Novosti news agency reports.

The delegation includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Russian Presidential Special Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev.

This is the first official visit by Russian officials since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The purpose of their trip has not been specified.

The former Syrian president lost power following a rapid offensive by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* (HTS) group, which is recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia. In just one week-from late November to December 7-HTS advanced from northern Syria to Damascus. Government troops and security forces offered almost no resistance. Bashar al-Assad fled the country and was granted asylum in Russia.

New Syrian Authorities Negotiate Russian Military Presence

The new Syrian authorities are in talks with Moscow regarding the continued presence of Russian military forces in Khmeimim and Tartus, located on the Mediterranean coast, according to Transitional Government Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Kasra. The two sides previously reached an agreement to station Russian troops at these bases for 49 years.

HTS* leader Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed that Syria does not want the withdrawal of Russian troops. Moscow also has no intention of leaving the Syrian bases, Reuters said. The fate of these bases "will be determined through dialogue," the Kremlin stated. Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed using these bases to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria.

On January 21, Damascus terminated its agreement with the Russian company Stroytransgaz regarding the management of the Tartus port.

*terrorist group, banned in Russia

Details

On 30 September 2015 Russia launched a military intervention in Syria after a request by the government of Bashar al-Assad for military support in its fight against the Syrian opposition and Islamic State (IS) in the Syrian civil war. The intervention was kick-started by extensive air strikes across Syria, focused on attacking opposition strongholds of the Free Syrian Army along with the rebel coalition of the Revolutionary Command Council and Sunni militant groups under the Army of Conquest coalition. In line with the Assad regime's propaganda which denounces all armed resistance to its rule as "terrorism"; Syrian military chief Ali Abdullah Ayoub depicted Russian airstrikes as facilitating their campaign against terrorism. Russian special operations forces, military advisors and private military contractors like the Wagner Group were also sent to Syria to support the Assad regime, which was on the verge of collapse. Prior to the intervention, Russian involvement had been heavily invested in providing Assad with diplomatic cover and propping up the Syrian Armed Forces with billions of dollars of arms and equipment. In December 2017, the Russian government announced that its troops would be deployed to Syria permanently.