Khmeimim and Tartus bases stationed until 2066 are reportedly operating as usual
Russia is negotiating with the new Syrian authorities on maintaining two of its military bases in the country, Tartus and Khmeimim.
Moscow and the Syrian jihadists who seized power in the country last weekend are currently discussing “maintaining Russia’s presence in Syria and its previous status,” according to TASS sources familiar with the negotiations. “The Russian side has secured temporary security guarantees, so the military bases are operating as usual,” the agency’s source has said.
On December 9, a TASS source reported that the day before, armed formations of then-President Bashar Assad’s opponents had established full control over the provinces of Latakia and Tartus, where Russian military bases are located. They did not invade the Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim.
The situation in Syria has rapidly deteriorated over the past two weeks, with assorted militants led by the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group launching an offensive against the country’s troops, taking over major cities and ending up in Damascus. However, jihadists did not enter the Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim. After the collapse of the Syrian military Assad fled the country, finding refuge in Russia.
According to a statement by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian diplomats have already discussed several issues with the HTS political committee, including “ensuring the security of our diplomatic mission and Russian citizens who are on the territory of Syria.”
Russian military forces are present in Syria at Khmeimim Air Base and at a logistics support center in Tartus, located in the western part of the country along the Mediterranean coast. In 2017, Moscow and Damascus agreed to the stationing of Russian troops at these bases for 49 years.
