Russia resumes military flights to Hmeimim airbase in Syria - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
Russia has resumed military flights to the Hmeimim airbase in Syria after a nearly six-month hiatus. Two Russian planes made flights to the Syrian city of Latakia, where the base is located.
Russia has resumed military flights to its Hmeimim airbase in Syria after a nearly six-month hiatus. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, at least two Russian aircraft made flights to the Syrian city of Latakia, where the base is located. In particular, an Il-62M transport aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces departed from Libya to Latakia on October 26, and then to the Moscow region. At the same time, an An-124-100 "Ruslan", capable of carrying large cargo, arrived at the airport three times since October 24, the last time on Wednesday, according to monitoring data.
A source close to the Kremlin, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic, confirmed that Russia is resuming flights.
Moscow relies on its bases in Syria to expand its military presence in the Middle East and Africa. In addition to the airbase, which serves as a key logistics hub for Russia's operations on the African continent, the Kremlin also maintains a port in Tartus - its only naval foothold in the Mediterranean Sea
The fall of the Assad regime almost a year ago and his flight to Moscow cast doubt on the Kremlin's continued cooperation with the new transitional government of Syria led by President Ahmed Al-Shaa, as well as Russia's ability to retain its military facilities.
The loss of any of the bases would be a serious strategic blow for Moscow, which is still in a state of escalating confrontation with the US and its European allies - almost four years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump is also actively engaging with the new Syrian administration: he met with Al-Shaa twice this year, and Washington and the EU have partially eased economic sanctions against Syria.
Even if Russia manages to maintain a military presence in Syria, its scale, according to sources familiar with the situation, will be smaller than before Assad's removal.
Meanwhile, a delegation from the Syrian Foreign Ministry is in Moscow, working to restore the Syrian embassy, a source familiar with the base's activities said. According to the state agency SANA, officials plan to resume consular and administrative services for Syrian citizens.
On Wednesday, President Ahmed Al-Shaa spoke at the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh, stating that he seeks to attract foreign investors to rebuild the war-torn country.
Recall
On October 15, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa officially visited Moscow for the first time for talks with Putin. Issues of Bashar al-Assad's extradition and the presence of Russian military bases in Syria were discussed.