Russia bids farewell to its last strongholds in Syria
Russia bids farewell to its last strongholds in Syria newspress_en Tue, 08/11/2026 - 15:36 Politics Nearly 18 months after the fall of the Assad regime, Russia has lost the privileged military and security position it had worked to consolidate for more than a decade. Syria has entered a new phase in which the former Russian and Iranian camp retains far less authority and fewer privileges than it…
Russia has formally abandoned its remaining military outposts in Syria, marking the end of an extensive decade-long presence. Nearly 18 months after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria now holds far less influence in the region. On August 9th, Russia and Syria signed a memorandum outlining the future management of the two remaining bases in Hmeimim and Tartus.
The agreements stipulate that Syrian authorities will assume control of the civilian elements of the Hmeimim airbase and the commercial section of Tartus port. The military installations are to be repurposed into training and capacity-building facilities. This transition is expected to be finalized within three months. Over the past 18 months, Syria has carefully managed to neutralize the military and economic vulnerabilities that Russia had exploited.
This transition began with Russia's conditional acceptance of its continued presence, with agreements put in place to safeguard the bases and personnel under Syrian supervision. Prior to December 8th, 2024, Russia had three military bases in Syria: Qamishli airport, Hmeimim airport, and Tartus port. These bases, along with additional command centers and affiliated forces, had provided Russia with significant geopolitical, military, and economic leverage.
However, with Assad's ousting, Russia relinquished its other military positions and local alliances, leaving only the three primary bases.
Written by urgent.news from Al Majalla English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
