Russia should reevaluate bases in Syria, the ruling rebels said

“There are no final decisions on this matter,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday when asked about the future of Russian bases in Syria. “We are in contact with representatives of the forces that are now controlling the situation in the country,” he added.

The representatives of HTS, the strongest of the opposition groups that have taken control of Syria, have expressed themselves ambiguously so far. The group’s spokesman, Obeida Arnaout, told the AP agency on Monday that Russia should “reevaluate” its military presence in Syria. At the same time, he indicated that an agreement with Moscow is possible.

“Their interests were connected with the criminal Assad regime. They can reconsider and take the initiative to reach out to the new administration to show that they have no animosity towards the Syrian people and that the era of the Assad regime is finally over,” Arnaout said.

Moscow said on Sunday that it had evacuated part of the diplomatic staff from the country. A few days earlier, satellite images released by Maxar showed Russian soldiers packing equipment at the Hmímím air base. According to his words, the deposed Syrian president Assad also flew from there to exile in Russia.

“Two AN-124 heavy military transport aircraft were present, both ready to load cargo. At the same air base, the Ka-52 attack helicopter was dismantled, probably preparing for transport. Parts of the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system were also seen being packed,” CNN described, adding that according to Western officials, the withdrawal of Russian troops and military equipment from Syria is “significant.”

Russian diplomats told The Moscow Times last week that a full Russian withdrawal from Syria is likely. However, it is not yet certain what will happen next. HTS makes it clear that an agreement with Russia, which militarily supported the Assad regime against the rebels, is not out of the question. “We were ordered to stay away from them for now,” one of the HTS fighters told AFP on condition of anonymity.

There is a palpable tension in the place. “When a group of local armed men approached them on Sunday, it seemed that the Russians had prepared their weapons without raising them aggressively,” described an AFP reporter from the port city of Tartus. The HTS militants also testified that a few days ago, four representatives of the new Syrian government and a port official from the Assad era met with the Russians.

The Tartus naval base and the Hmimim air base are the only Russian military bases outside the territory of the former Soviet Union and have been key to the Kremlin’s activities in Africa and the Middle East. Without them, the Russian Navy would find itself without a port in the Mediterranean Sea.

“Two US officials said the Russians had begun moving equipment from Syria to Libya, and another defense official said Moscow had increased pressure on Libyan National Army chief Khalifa Haftar to secure Russia’s claim to the port of Benghazi,” CNN reported.

Cargo planes of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations landed at the Libyan airbase Al-Khadím at least seven times during the week, the station wrote, referring to aerial records and satellite images. She pointed out that the place historically served as a starting point for Russian operations in Africa, including the activities of the so-called Wagner Army.