The Russian delegation included deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also Putin’s special envoy on the Middle East and Africa [Getty]
A Russian delegation arrived in Damascus on Tuesday for a landmark visit to post-Assad Syria, as Moscow’s forces appeared ready to depart a key naval port in the country.
The Russian delegation included deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is also Putin’s special envoy on the Middle East and Africa, as well as Alexander Lavrentyev, the president’s special envoy on Syria, following Moscow’s years-long support for the former Syrian regime.
Moscow was a key backer of Bashar Al-Assad’s war against the rebels, who now control Syria, killing thousands of civilians and destroying key infrastructure in airstrikes on opposition areas in the process.
Russia managed to expand its military footprint in Syria during this period, widely seen as compensation for Moscow’s critical air support, but with the downfall of Assad, this presence appears to be coming to an end.
Satellite imagery from Tartous, the coastal city where Moscow maintains a naval facility, has seen Russian military hardware departing over the past weeks.
Radio Liberty published a series of satellite images showing the Sparta II arms carrier, which docked in Tartous last week, is no longer at the port and a significant stockpile of military equipment gone with it.
It is believed that following the downfall of Moscow’s key regional ally, Bashar Al-Assad, Russia is looking to transfer its military presence from Syria to Africa and Europe.
Russia also maintains an airbase in Latakia and other small military outposts, but these have also reportedly shown signs of a downscale. It is not known what the future will be for Moscow in Syria under the new regime in Damascus, which includes figures who have directly fought Russian forces.
Russian state media reported that Moscow’s delegation will meet Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and other officials in Damascus.
Bogdanov was a Russian diplomat in Syria in the 1980s and 1990s and speaks Arabic, while Lavrentyev took part in previous negotiations with Assad.
Despite Russia’s role in being a key backer of the former Syrian regime, Moscow had grown increasingly irritated with Assad’s failure to build ties with Turkey or pursue a deal with the Syrian opposition to end 13 years of war.
RT Arabic reported that Bogdanov described the visit as aimed at strengthening historic ties based on common understanding, and comes after Al-Sharaa acknowledged “deep strategic interests between Russia and Syria”.
“All Syria’s arms are of Russian origin, and many power plants are managed by Russian experts… We do not want Russia to leave Syria in the way that some wish,” Al-Sharaa added.
Ukraine, which is fighting a bloody invasion by Moscow, has urged the new Syrian government to expel Russian forces from the country.
There had been reports that Ukrainian special forces had collaborated with the opposition, including Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group, to target Russian forces in Syria.
Agencies contributed to this story.
