Russia began a large-scale withdrawal of military equipment and troops from Syria following the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to two U.S. officials and a Western official familiar with the intelligence.
Officials characterized the Russian withdrawal as a significant operation. The move reportedly began last week, but it is unclear whether it will be permanent.
U.S. and Western intelligence suggests that Russian officials have been trying to determine whether Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main rebel group now in charge of Syria, is open to a negotiated solution of some kind that would allow Russia to remain in some of its key bases. These bases include the Russian Khmeimim air base in Latakia and a port facility in Tartus.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news conference last week that Russia is in contact with the rebels in Damascus.
“We must maintain contact with those who are controlling the situation on the ground because, as I mentioned, we have facilities and personnel there,” he said.
Two U.S. officials said the Russians had begun moving naval assets from Syria to Libya, and a defense official said Moscow had increased pressure on Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar to secure Russia’s claim to a port in Benghazi.
Without a Libyan port, and if they are forced to abandon Tartus in Syria, the Russians would be left without a port in the Mediterranean Sea – a strategic location to project power against NATO, the official said. The loss of Tartus, even temporarily, will also make it more difficult for Russia to move illicit materials between Moscow and Africa, the defense official said.
Cargo planes registered with Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations also arrived at the al-Khadim base in Libya at least seven times in less than a week, flight records and satellite images show.
Historically, the air base has been a launching point for Russian operations in Africa – including the notorious Wagner Group that was tasked with arming Sudanese paramilitary forces accused of war crimes.
THE CNN reported last week that Russia appears to be loading and preparing aircraft to leave its military bases in Syria, according to satellite images collected by Maxar on Friday morning.
At Khmeimim air base, two AN-124 heavy military transport planes were present at the airfield on Friday, both with their nose cones raised indicating they were prepared to carry cargo.
At the same air base, a Ka-52 attack helicopter was being dismantled, probably preparing for transport. Parts of an S-400 air defense unit – a Russian surface-to-air missile system – can also be seen being packaged.
This repositioning is illustrated by images captured along the Syrian coast and verified by CNN .
A video posted on social media last week showed at least three Russian surface-to-air missile systems heading south toward the port of Tartus; Another video shared on X by journalist Wassim Nasr and geolocated by CNN showed a convoy of armored vehicles traveling north on the same highway, with the Russian flag prominently displayed.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday he could not comment on a Russian withdrawal.
Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Patrick Ryder said on Monday, however, that the US has been able to operate more freely in Syria to carry out anti-Islamic State operations because Russian air defense systems, which can pose a risk to American aircraft, are no longer operating in the country.
On Monday, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller would not say whether the U.S. is pressuring Syria’s interim government to expel all Russian forces from the country, but noted that Russia has a brutal history inside Syria. .
“I’m not going to go into detail about the conversations we had with them. Ultimately, as you heard me say last week, the disposition of these two Russian bases inside Syria is a matter for the Syrian people to decide,” Miller said at a press conference.
“When you look at Russia’s history inside Syria, it is one of being complicit in the massacre of thousands of Syrian civilians. Russia supported the brutal, murderous regime that tortured its own people, that murdered its own people, and so certainly, I think Russia has a lot to answer for its actions inside Syria,” he said.
US Central Command forces have carried out several airstrikes against Islamic State camps and operatives in Syria since Assad’s departure earlier this month.
“One of the big factors that has changed in Syria is airspace, in the sense that previously you had Syrian regime and Russian air defense, which would impede in many cases our ability or desire to go into those areas” to carry out operations against the Islamic State, Ryder told reporters. “It’s a much more permissible environment now, in that respect,” he added.
Find out who the Syrian rebel leader is and the group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad
This content was originally published in Russian military begins large-scale withdrawal from Syria, US sources say on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
