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More than a month after the surprising fall of the Assad regime in Syria the future of the Russian military presence in the country remains in question, although facts from the ground indicate that there won’t be a catastrophic withdrawal like the one the United States went through in Afghanistan some four years ago.
Russia has two bases in Syria, a naval logistics center in the port city of Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase near the town of Jableh in the southern countryside of Latakia.
The Tartus base was set up in 1971 under a bilateral agreement. The Russian Aerospace Force set up an aviation group in Syria in 2015 to support the now dissolved Syrian Arab Army in the fight against ISIS.
The fate of the base in Tartus was questioned by the mainstream media on January 21 when Syria’s Al Watan newspaper reported, citing a senior Syrian customs official, that the country’s new authorities, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have terminated an investment contract about the management of the key port that concluded with a Russian company back in 2019 – that WAS concluded.
“The agreement on investment into the port of Tartus, signed with a Russian company, has been annulled. All incomes from the port’s activities will be used in Syria’s interests,” Tartus customs department chief Riad Judi said.
The 49-year-long agreement was signed between the Syrian government and Russia’s Stroytransgas company in 2019.
The document envisaged that the Russian side will manage the port over that period, investing over $500 million into its modernization.
The mainstream media, especially Western news outlets, interpreted the Syrian report as the coup de grace for Russian military presence in Syria, ignoring the fact that the agreement in question was related only to the administration of the civilian section of Tartus port, and not related in any way to the agreement reached years prior on the naval base and the air base in Khmeimim.
Furthermore, sources with knowledge on operations in the civilian section of Tartus port informed SouthFront that the agreement with Stroytransgas never really materialized due to several factors, including U.S. sanctions on Syria which went into full force in 2019 as well as rampant corruption from the side of the former Syrian government.
According to these sources, when the contract was signed the so-called Security Office of the SAA’s 4th Armored Division was the de-facto operator of the port. Later, Yassar Ibramim, a close aide of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, controlled civilian operations in the port indirectly through a network of small, local security, customs and shipping companies.
It is still unclear if contract with Stroytransgas was in fact even legally finalized by the former Syrian government. Such contracts usually have a strict penal condition, thus they can’t be simply annulled by one of the sides at will as reported by Al Watan.
The report coincided with information confirming that Sparta II, a ro-ro cargo ship affiliated with the Russian Navy, had entered the Russian base in Tartus port after arriving in Syrian waters a few weeks earlier. The move marked the first known time a Russian vessel is known to have docked at the base since the collapse of the Assad regime.
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The ship is most likely tasked with evaluating military equipment from the base. However, this again does not necessarily mean that Russia is abandoning the port of Tartus.
In the weeks following the collapse of the Assad regime, Russian forces deployed in several small posts in central, southern and eastern Syria withdrew to Tartus base, which became crowded with vehicles. Sparta II will likely evacuate the extra equipment, which is not needed in Syria anymore. There is no clear indication that the base’s own equipment will be pulled out, at least not currently.
In fact, recent reports from Tartus indicate that Russian forces are now operating as before, although at a higher level of alert.
Eyewitnesses who spoke with SouthFront from the port city said that a Russian surveillance blimp has been deployed over the base for several weeks now. They also revealed that in recent days, Russian warships have once again approached the beach of the city and are easily visible from its coast.
In addition, footage aired recently by Al-Hadath TV showed Russian troops shopping in the town of Banias some 40 kilometers away from Tartus port.
The situation in Khmeimim air base is not as clear. HTS-led forces set up several checkpoints around the base in recent weeks. However, helicopters, reconnaissance planes and fighter jets are still operating from there on a regular basis. There have been no reports of any incidents, which indicate that the two sides are coordinating.
Following the collapse of the Assad regime, Russia warned of a plot to attack its bases in Syria. Nevertheless, it said that Western intelligence services were responsible, not HTS.
It’s worth noting that both Russia and the new government in Syria have voiced their openness to renegotiate the agreement related to the bases in Tartus and Khmeimim.
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow proposed to use Russian military bases to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria. And on December 27, a source told TASS that the new Syrian authorities in the near future do not plan to sever the agreements that allow Russia to use the bases.
Speaking on the matter, Syria’s Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said on January 22 that the government was still in talks with Moscow over the military bases.
“Up until now, it is unclear what the final solution will look like. We have not yet received instructions” from our leadership in this regard, he said in an interview with Al Araby television. “Talks are underway.”
The talks are conducted by the Syrian leadership and involve the Syrian Foreign Ministry, according to the minister.
While the Syrian government has been facing some pressure, mainly from the European Union, to expel Russian forces from the country, it does not appear to be fully on board with the idea. Considering the very complex situation in Syria, the presence of Russian military bases on the coast may be important to balance the influence of other foreign forces in the country.
The Syrian coast, the heartland of the Alawite minority -which Assad belong to- and a former stronghold of the regime, saw rising tensions in the weeks that followed the departure of Assad with calls from some locals leaders for the intervention of foreign forces. HTS forces have been very careful with their operations there, still blood was spilled from both sides.
The withdrawal of Russian forces from the coast could open the door for the intervention of other foreign forces which HTS will likely struggle more to deal with.
There has already been a report calling on the U.S. to take over Tartus port if Russia leaves. Considering the ongoing conflict with the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria, this would likely mean the de-facto division of Syria.
And while Turkey has been a key backer of HTS, allowing it to expand its military control to the coast will likely leave future Syria completely dominated by Ankara both politically and economically.
Aside from the U.S. and Turkey, there have been several calls on social networks and media reports theorizing about some Israeli operation on the coast, or even the return of the French mandate. Such theories are unrealistic for sure, yet they are dangerous and the new Syrian government is for sure aware of this.
All in all, HTS clearly understands that Russia could have fought after the departure of Assad to maintain its grip over the Syrian coast but favored maintaining the unity and sovereignty of Syria. The group’s leaders and the officials of its new government have already made positive remarks about the relationship they are looking for with Moscow. However, high-level contact is yet to be made.
Now, the situation in both Tartus and Latakia is slowly calming down. Unlike other foreign forces in the country, Russia has not been interfering.
The Russian military presence appears to be in the interests of the new Syrian government. However, this does not mean that Russia is guaranteed to keep the bases.
The two sides will not likely make a decision on matters before the second quarter of the year, when a new national-unity government is supposed to take over in Syria. By this time, any advance in peace talks on Ukraine could ease any Western pressure on Damascus and allow it to engage more openly with Moscow on issues like military cooperation.
Even if a lasting agreement was reached, the shape and size of the Russian military presence in the country could change as the war would be over and there would be no combat operations.
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in my gay amerikan bar we all inferior humiliated senile retired janitors
you said it
un paradosso. queste le parole di piantedosi: «considerato che il cittadino libico era a piede libero in italia e presentava un profilo di pericolosità sociale, come emerge dal mandato di arresto della cpi, ho adottato un provvedimento di espulsione per motivi di sicurezza dello stato». peccato che la pericolosità di almasri non sta certo nella possibilità che commetta violenze in italia, ma nel suo “lavoro” in libia.
il che è comprensibile perché in sostanza il ministro ammette che la pericolosità del soggetto, indicata dalla corte penale internazionale (che per questo lo voleva a l’aja per processarlo), è lo stesso motivo per il quale il viminale ha invece ritenuto di riportarlo in patria, con tanto di aereo di stato.
more rubbish biden sabotaged america’s military on purpose by pulling out the troops in the most unprofessional and disastrous way possible that could never be deemed anything buf akin to intentionality, and gifted the taliban billions of dollars worth of equipment.. on purpose it was not a withdrawal its was a deposit paid down to build up the taliban to attack russia, to i crease tge scope of ww3 and wreak more death and destruction around the world. imo
ciò significa che è stato riportato esattamente nel luogo in cui è più pericoloso.c’è poi un altro punto: per il titolare dell’interno «la corte d’appello di roma ha dichiarato il non luogo a provvedere sull’arresto, valutandolo come irrituale» (per la mancata comunicazione diretta della cpi al ministro della giustizia, carlo nordio) e «disponendo l’immediata scarcerazione». piantedosi, però omette di dire che la stessa corte d’appello, si era preoccupata di
i stay in my hillbilly trailer park in burgerland; russians stay in syria
actual reports say the new islamists rulers in damaskus have canceled all agreements with russia, so a partly or even full russian retreat in the next time is likely.
so russia should try to build new bases in lebanon or in libya in the allied general hafta controlled parts.
russia should just annex those bases until htf can pay back syrian government loans and unpaid liabilities back to russia. how about that instead?
you’re forgiven for not having a clue but soth front should know better than to be such stupid people. imo
for russia it is more feasible to have a workable relationship with the new syrian government and have them leave their operations in those bases alone then to antoganize them. truth is for russia these bases serve as a important supply point for their power projection in africa however lybia can take over this role. the usa would gladly fill the void and divide syria further and take over these bases.
russias doomed spain is in brics. russia will be come tsarist again becayse they were queen victoria’s grand children simple grow up.
wakey wakey. grow up. get real. imo you may go blind if you don’t stop it.
russian should leve “syria” and start bombing and “kalibrating” jihadists… not worth mantain anything in there
russia should leave idlibistan “ex-syria”. it could use lybia as new base, help stabilize the country. lybia has much more oil than syria, which has nothing really.. let the west deal with the quagmire
putin should immediately form a pact with trump like tsar alexander and president mc kinley
hts dont want the same scenario as we have seen in libya where forces of egipt nd uae supported another faction againts qatar&turkey axe which took all east of libya,
blah blah feeding the war mongers profits so transparently too.
caso almasri, il portavoce dell’ong david yambio: “italia complice dei suoi crimini nell’inferno del carcere in libia”
il rappresentante di refugees in libya: «chi ha preso parte alla parodia dell’arresto e del rilascio ha sangue sulle mani…
the american withdrawal from afghanistan was theater, complete with fake blow up doll airplanes, a deal was made. syria, may or may not be a similar theater, or rather a trap set for israel, uk, america and turkey to expose their criminal intent more so to the world and destroy their once coveted strangle hold on the information war narrative. g-7 politicians, giving standing ovations to visiting war criminals says it all.
lord rothernere, not his original name, and walter murdoch and the cia basically run the medias but the fact is the pope is the post master general and the rule of law. he runs it all.
putin+edogan=daesh+brics
the ruzzian nazis were kicked out, what a humiliation for putin 😆 🇷🇺=🤡 😆😆😆
this was a strategic defeat against both russia and iran. they lost valuable ground to help the so called “resistance front” in lebanon and gaza. at the end of the day — it is all about israeli interests and the global banking elite’s interests. hence russia is a cuck of the same overlords as the west
king charles is king of israel. wake up
shoot yourself in the head
when it runs out of idiot monikers to post shit under, we may have the pleasure of some such event as that happening
hts headchopper gang is now referred to as the syrian government and assad is called the regime? dont u guys at sf have any principles?
btw they definitely going to kick russia out. so keep the honor to yourself and stop these ridicules change of tone.
they’re nazi sympathisers obviously by their moderation imo
white jews are the real nazis https://www.bitchute.com/video/bmdxbiosmuj2
time to pull your pants down and drop a joo. imo.
it is likely some kind of agreement or understanding on the status of the russian bases was reached before russia pulled the rug under the assad government. there would not have been the sudden collapse we saw if russia allowed iran to fly in soldiers and arms. but russia blocked the planes and didnt garantee safe travel through the airspace.
they allowed it to happen. the russian air defenses before detered israel from bombing syria to some degree.
if these people really know what’s happening in syria, they would have predicted it to collapse. i don’t know anyone who did. so it’s really hard to say what the truth is.
that’s how they play the game so that ” nothing is what it seems”
told you all before but that the sjiiets (fake muslim zionists), turks (khazarian zionists) and russians (byzantine zionists) will betray the arab couse. told you also before that these cryptozionists want jerusalem as a religieus treasure for themselfes and using the arabs as usefull idiots.
no. israel is visited by diplomats from christian moslem and jewush visitors from all over the world. they have diplomatic immunity. join the dots its nicely located for distribution.
you think they believe in the 10 commandments? wakey wakey.
wakey wakey. get real and grow up ! time for you to pull your pud. imo.
yes exactly the jews run all sides.
“russia has two bases in syria, a naval logistics center in the port city of tartus and the khmeimim airbase near the town of jableh in the southern countryside of latakia.”
thank you very much. this is new knowlege to me.
slava!
🌼🍉𓋸🧱🐍🧸
america has literally hundreds of bases everywhere ” america is our barracks” churchill.
leaving it for the americans and british….russia under putin leadership is a complete fuck up.
there’s nothing putin can do he’s surrounded from within by members of secret societies recruited in universities globally. he can outmanouvere , or more correctly they can let him seem to,outmanouvere them until they’re ready to close the net. that’s all. its just turnover profit maximisation in between. imo
russia should not have stopped defending the assad government against the hts terrorist network and its us, eu, turkey, israel supporters.
– even that the decision was obviously based on the soviet experience in afghanistan which took heavy resources away from the soviet and paved the way for the breakdown of the soviet union.
that’s the conditions for the soviet/ russia doing well internationally, but being without military allies.
this is all the result of not finishing hts off when they were cornerd in idlib and the failed astana agreements. putin tried to lur erdogan away from nato after the so called coup attempt. in the end he gave erdogan everything while getting nothing in return. as much as i deslike erdogan, he played putin well and made him look like a ha7hmar, have to give him that.
the tsar nicholas when abdicating said to his senior valet in service for decades, re abdication, if i’d abdicate earlier do you think it would have made any difference and was shocked into disbelief by the old fool saying …. yes sire i do.. unbelievable ignorance.
the only thing that would have made a massive difference on world history was if he would have negotiated a peace settlement with the central powers before the jews were able to overthrow him and install jewishbolschevism in russia and mrder him and his family and millions of russians.
the czar stubbornly continued the war until the jews siezed power.alexander kerensky was a jew as soon as the jews took power the czar was powerless.
these “jews” in russia and ukraine are in reality khazars
75% of comissars working under lenin were khazars
the fog of war is all over this deal. but, we know cia/mossad money is involved. perhaps israel wants to elevate it’s status a pariah state of the universe. the 10 commandments ignored for the golden calf?
grow up. they want the universe. its in their name catholic in english means universal. they’re the universal church as gods representative on earth pope comes from pontiff which is from pontoon which is a bridge between man and god. he’s the bridge over troubled water all that imo
wake up. get real and grow up.in my opinion blisters on the hand from meat organ massage should be washed in lumpy custard. imo
never heard what happened to the red heifers from some months ago. presume they were sodomized by all chosenites present before the b-b-q was fired up in celebration of their voodoo magic circle jerk.
nothings what it seem. they set everything up as theatre of operations. only ignorant deadshits take anything at face value.
in my opinion, ignorant deadshits should wake up and get real and pull their puds three times a day. you complete c – sucker 😜
the importance of tartus has been greatly exaggerated. for most of the time it has been in operation it consisted of a warehouse at the end of a jetty with a handful of personnel. it is not a russian ramstein or okinawa.
la prima spiegazione di matteo piantedosi sul rilascio del generale almasri lascia aperti molti interrogativi sul rimpatrio lampo del capo della polizia giudiziaria libica. di certo non basta alle opposizioni, che continuano a chiedere a giorgia meloni di metterci la faccia e, anzi, sembrano ancor più sconcertate dopo il question time del ministro dell’interno, oggi in senato.
south front has just become nothing but russian propaganda site! this whole article is b.s. just admit south front that the russians got kicked out of their bases by terrorists.
russia was humiliated in syria.🤣