Russia has initiated the withdrawal of its troops from Qamishli airport, located in northeastern Syria, a development that may herald the conclusion of its military presence in the area, as reported by Reuters on Monday, citing five Syrian sources.
In recent days, military assets and heavy weaponry have been reallocated to Russia’s Khmeimim airbase on the western coast of Syria. According to the sources, some Russian forces are expected to relocate to the Khmeimim base, while others will head back to Russia.
Russian military personnel have been based at Qamishli airport since 2019. This facility, positioned in the capital of Syria’s Kurdish region, has played a vital role as a monitoring post for northeastern Syria and as a logistical center for troop movements.
The troop withdrawal coincides with increased operations by the Syrian government forces, as the new administration in Damascus aims to establish control across the entire nation.
This month, units loyal to President Ahmed al-Sharaa successfully regained significant areas in the northern and eastern regions from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
On Saturday, both parties reached an agreement to extend a ceasefire by an additional 15 days, according to Reuters.
Additionally, last week, the Kommersant business daily mentioned an unconfirmed Syrian source stating that Damascus might soon request Russia to vacate the Qamishli base, asserting that “there’s nothing for them [the Russians] to do there.”
It is believed that this matter will be discussed once the Hasakah province is completely under government control.
Since taking office approximately 14 months ago, Syria’s new leadership has expressed its willingness to honor previous agreements with Moscow, indicating that Russia could retain its main bases at Khmeimim and the port of Tartus.
Nonetheless, Anton Mardasov, an analyst at the Russian International Affairs Council, noted that Russia’s role as a regional mediator has diminished amid rising pressure on the Kurds and increasing competition, rendering a decrease in its presence in northeastern Syria a logical decision.
