Russian planes taking off and convoy movement spotted at Hmeimim airbase in Syria's Latakia

Record ID: 1889124

  • Title: Russian planes taking off and convoy movement spotted at Hmeimim airbase in Syria's Latakia
  • Date: 15th December 2024
  • Summary: LATAKIA, SYRIA (DECEMBER 15, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN FLAG ON TOP OF CONTROL TOWER AT THE HMEIMIM AIR BASE VARIOUS OF PLANES WITH RUSSIAN FLAG LANDING AT THE BASE RUSSIAN FLAG ON TOP OF BUILDING, PLANE LANDING VARIOUS OF PLANES TAXIING MILITARY VEHICLE WITH RUSSIAN FLAG MOVING SOLDIERS WALKING INSIDE THE BASE RUSSIAN FLAG, PLANE AT BASE MILITARY TRUCK MOVING VARIOUS OF PLANES WITH RUSSIAN FLAGS TAKING OFF, IN THE AIR VARIOUS OF MILITARY CONVOY MOVING, VEHICLES WITH RUSSIAN FLAG
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2024 15:12
  • Keywords: HMEIMIM AIR BASE LATAKIA RUSSIA SYRIA
  • Location: LATAKIA, SYRIA
  • City: LATAKIA, SYRIA
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001730715122024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Russian activity was observed on Sunday (December 15) at the Hmeimim Air Base in the Syrian port city of Latakia, one week after the fall of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
    Soldiers were seen walking inside the base, while military vehicles, including trucks, moved through the area. Planes with Russian flags were seen landing and taking off.
    Russia is pulling back its military from the front lines in northern Syria and from posts in the Alawite Mountains but is not leaving its two main bases in the country after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, four Syrian officials told Reuters on Saturday (December 14).
    The ousting of Assad, who along with his late father, former President Hafez al-Assad, had forged a close alliance with Moscow, has thrown the future of Russia's bases - the Hmeimim airbase in Latakia and the Tartous naval facility - into question.
    Syrian military and security sources in contact with the Russians told Reuters that Moscow was pulling back its forces from the front lines and withdrawing some heavy equipment and senior Syrian officers.
    But the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said Russia was not pulling out of its two main bases and currently had no intention of doing so.
    The bases in Syria are an integral part of Russia's global military presence: the Tartous naval base is Russia's only Mediterranean repair and resupply hub, with Hmeimim a major staging post for military and mercenary activity in Africa.
    (Production: Bulent Usta, Dina Sakr)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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