Russia begins withdrawal of military forces from Syria
Russia has begun pulling its military forces from Syria, according to media reports and satellite imagery. Reuters, citing an anonymous source within the Syrian security forces, reports that on Saturday, a cargo plane departed Russia’s Khmeimim Airbase in Latakia province for Libya. The source, whose affiliation with either Assad’s security services or the new regime remains unspecified, indicated that more flights are expected in the coming days. Cargo helicopters have also been spotted at the base.
On December 13, Radio Free Europe released satellite images of the Khmeimim Airbase by Maxar Technologies, revealing two Russian military An-124 "Ruslan" transport planes with their nose sections open, likely preparing for the loading of military equipment.
Additionally, the UK’s Channel 4 recently aired a report detailing the withdrawal of Russian convoys from east Syria towards the Russian bases of Khmeimim and Tartus. Reports indicate that Russian warships departed the port of Tartus a few days ago.
The Times' Middle East correspondent, Samer Al-Atrush, shared videos of Russian military convoys in Syria, including a short interview with a soldier who remarked, "we are going home to Russia." Al-Atrush claims the Russian forces are heading towards Hmeymim Airbase. He also mentioned that the Russian Tartus base is now guarded by members of the HTS group. One guard told the journalist, “We treat the Russians better than our own people. Anyway, inshallah, they have a couple of days”.