Fate of Russian Forces in Syria After Assad
December 10, 2024, 10:18 am

Fate of Russian Forces in Syria After Assad

القوات الروسية في سوريا \ تعبيرية

The swift collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria is a strategic blow to Russia, which has been one of the most prominent supporters of the regime. These developments have led to a crisis for Moscow, which is striving to maintain its military presence in the country.

In statements, Russian political analyst Sergey Markov pointed out that "the defeat of Assad's regime means the defeat of its allies." He mentioned during his appearance on the program "Al-Hurra Al-Layla" on Al-Hurra channel that "Iran has been controlling Assad," indicating the complexities of the relationship between Russia and Iran in the Syrian conflict.

Markov added that the Russian role has been primarily limited to supporting the Syrian army in combating ISIS, emphasizing that "the reason for Assad's defeat is his failure to heed Russia's advice."

In this context, the Kremlin stated that discussing the future of the two Russian military bases in Hmeimim and Tartus is still premature, confirming that this topic will be raised for discussion with the new leadership in Damascus.

For his part, Syrian political analyst Ghassan Yassin expressed that the Syrian opposition does not accept the presence of any Russian forces on Syrian territory. He noted during his participation in the same program that the Hmeimim base is considered "a colonial base from which the operations to destroy Aleppo and Ghouta were launched."

Yassin also denied claims regarding the Russian campaign against ISIS, pointing out that "the Russian forces did not carry out any airstrikes against the organization in Aleppo."

On another note, an Israeli security source revealed to Al-Hurra that there are indications of a gradual withdrawal of Russian forces from areas still under the control of opposition factions, amid developments suggesting a retreat for Bashar al-Assad's regime.

It is worth mentioning that Russia has provided crucial support to Assad's regime through airstrikes on opposition targets since 2015, operating from the Hmeimim and Tartus bases. Moscow has previously announced that Assad has stepped down and left the country following orders for a peaceful transfer of power, but it has yet to clarify whether the Russian military intends to remain in Syria.

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