Following the fall of former president and Russian ally Bashar Al-Assad by Syrian rebels last week, satellite photographs on Friday seemed to show Russian personnel packing up and dismantling military equipment at one of their major facilities in Syria, possibly in preparation for a military pullout.
Although the ultimate agreement between Russia and Syria’s new administration is still up in the air, the movements show how the country’s power dynamics have changed significantly since Assad, as Moscow struggles with the loss of a crucial ally and the possible decline of its influence in the Middle East.
Images depicting transport movements at Russia’s Hmeimim airfield and Tartus naval facility, both south of Latakia on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, were made public by U.S. defense contractor Maxar Technologies on Friday.
On the airstrip at Hmeimim, two An-124 large transport planes were seen with their nose cones up, prepared to load cargo. A Ka-52 attack helicopter was observed nearby being disassembled, most likely in order to be transported.
Russian military convoys and other forces seem to be moving near the airbase.
A Russian convoy was seen moving north toward Homs along the highway that connects Aleppo in the north and Damascus in the south in footage confirmed by NBC News. The person recording the video remarks, “May God never return you,” adding that it was the second convoy of its kind he had ever seen.
Russian military trucks are seen traveling in Jableh, close to Hmeimim Air Base, in another video.
Russian forces were also leaving the Hassia region south of Homs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring organization headquartered in the United Kingdom, with intentions to reassemble at Hmeimim later.
Across the nation, Russian military have been seen moving in similar ways.
Bystanders were seen waving their shoes at Russian military trucks as they drove through what seemed to be Syria in another authenticated video.Another, uploaded by the well-known Russian military-themed Telegram account “Military Informer,” allegedly depicted a Russian military column passing through Syrian territory controlled by the Kurds.
Russia, which is already involved in a drawn-out land conflict in Ukraine, has suffered a serious setback with the overthrow of Assad.
With Hmeimim and Tartus acting as vital centers for extending power throughout the area and preserving Moscow’s influence in the Mediterranean, Russia’s military presence in Syria has been a key component of its Middle East strategy.
Although Russia’s intervention in the Syrian Civil War in 2015 significantly tipped the scales in Assad’s favor, Moscow has failed to stop his demise this time, and any large-scale pullout would be a devastating blow.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, downplayed the harm last week, claiming that although Russia has previously made considerable efforts to stabilize Syria, the situation in Ukraine is now its top focus.
According to him, Moscow is currently negotiating with the country’s new administration on matters pertaining to its military deployment and the safety of Russian diplomats and nationals there.
According to Reuters, Peskov told reporters, “You know, of course, that we are in contact with those who are currently in control of the situation in Syria.”
In a significant change, Russian state media now refers to the Syrian rebels as rebels instead of terrorists, indicating Moscow’s desire to work diplomatically with the country’s new leadership while preserving its military presence in the Mediterranean.
There is no sign, though, that a precise deal has been made to guarantee Russia’s ongoing involvement.
After Israeli forces invaded Syrian land last week and launched a large barrage of bombings into the country, Syria’s envoy to the UN issued two identical letters to the U.N. and the U.N. Security Council on Saturday, conveying a formal complaint.
According to the letter, Syria reiterates its demand that the UN and Security Council take responsibility and act swiftly to force Israel to stop its current attacks on Syrian territory, make sure they don’t happen again, and immediately leave the areas it has breached in recent days.
As Israeli soldiers take over the demilitarized, U.N.-patrolled buffer zone created under a 1974 peace deal, Israeli defensive Minister Israel Katz announced last week that he has directed the military to create a sterile defensive zone in southern Syria.
Israel claims that its airstrikes and military operations are intended to keep Assad’s rocket and chemical weapons stockpile out of the hands of extremists who might endanger its citizens or borders.
However, as Syria moves past 53 years of Assad administration, the international community is already concerned about potential instability, thus its march has sparked alarm.
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