Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Kremlin in Moscow on Jan. 28, 2026. (Credit: Maxim Shipenkov/AFP)
It was through Hmeimim, the Russian air base located on the Syrian coast, that ousted President Bashar Assad was evacuated to Moscow in December 2024. Nearly two years later, the airfield has become one of the symbols of a deeply transformed relationship between Moscow and Damascus. On Aug. 9, Syria announced the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with Russia regarding the future of Hmeimim, near Latakia, and the Russian naval base in Tartus. Reached after some 18 months of negotiations, the agreement provides for the return of the civilian infrastructure of both sites to Syrian management and the transformation of their military installations into joint Syrian-Russian training and qualification centers. In the press Luna Shibl was 'digging her own grave': New revelations about suspicious death of Assad’s former adviser ...
It was through Hmeimim, the Russian air base located on the Syrian coast, that ousted President Bashar Assad was evacuated to Moscow in December 2024. Nearly two years later, the airfield has become one of the symbols of a deeply transformed relationship between Moscow and Damascus. On Aug. 9, Syria announced the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with Russia regarding the future of Hmeimim, near Latakia, and the Russian naval base in Tartus. Reached after some 18 months of negotiations, the agreement provides for the return of the civilian infrastructure of both sites to Syrian management and the transformation of their military installations into joint Syrian-Russian training and qualification centers. In the press Luna Shibl was 'digging her own grave': New revelations about suspicious death of Assad’s former adviser ...
