What's happened
Following the recent overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, satellite imagery indicates a significant reduction in Russia's military assets at its bases in Syria. The future of the Tartus naval base and Khmeimim air base remains uncertain as Moscow navigates new relationships with the Syrian opposition and assesses its strategic interests in the region.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Business Insider UK, satellite imagery reveals a notable decrease in Russian military assets at the Hmeimim air base, suggesting a withdrawal following the collapse of Assad's regime. Jake Epstein notes that the Kremlin is consolidating its forces, with some assets possibly being relocated rather than fully withdrawn. Meanwhile, The Moscow Times reports that Russia is maintaining contact with the new Syrian leadership, indicating a potential informal understanding to keep its bases operational. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, emphasized the importance of these bases for Russia's military strategy in the region. However, the future remains uncertain as the dynamics shift with the new power structure in Syria.
How we got here
The Syrian civil war, which saw Russia support Assad's regime, has dramatically shifted with the recent rebel offensive that ousted him. This upheaval raises questions about Russia's military foothold in Syria, particularly at its key bases in Tartus and Khmeimim.
More on these topics
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Bashar Hafez al-Assad is a Syrian politician who has been the President of Syria since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and Regional Secretary of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party's branch in Syria.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon to the southwest, the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest.
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Damascus; Arabic: دمشق, romanized: Dimašq, Syrian Arabic: is the capital of Syria; it is also the country's largest city, following the decline in population of Aleppo due to the battle for the city.
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Dmitry Sergeyevich Peskov is a Russian diplomat, translator and Turkologist. Since 2012, Peskov has been the Press Secretary for the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.