Reportedly, activity at Russia’s Hmeimim Air Base in Syria, which changed the direction of the civil war in late 2015, has almost come to a halt now. After a summer in which the regime led by Bashar al-Assad sustained a devastating loss to opposition forces, Moscow dispatched fighter jets to Hmeimim.
The Russian jets began bringing air strikes against opposition forces in September, assisting Assad in regaining vast territories that his forces lost at the beginning of the autumn. In this way, Russian aerial forces along with U.S. air forces in eastern Syria ensured the survival of Assad until November 2024. However, the operations turned in greatly slowed at the base.
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After the 27th of November, when fighting was escalating, the regime’s military was suddenly disintegrating by loss of control over all important cities. Limited air strikes were carried out by Russian jets from Hmeimim. With the collapse of the regime forces, as well as Iranian-backed militias, attention shifted to whether Russia would intensify its involvement. The latest shots of the Hmeimim base show isolated runways and hangars.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Russia must engage itself with whoever is in effective control on the ground to ensure the safety of its personnel and facilities. Maria Zakharova stressed continued dialogue with all political elements in Syria. President Vladimir Putin announced that Iran had requested assistance from Russia to withdraw its troops from Syria. Through the Hmeimim Air Base, Russia has organized the evacuation of around 4000 pro-Iranian fighters; some groups left to Lebanon and Iraq.
All the above implies a change in Russia’s military and diplomacy strategy in Syria.