Moscow Evacuates Troops by Air and Sea as Syrian Base Faces Siege

Russia has begun a large-scale withdrawal from Syria, using military aircraft and naval vessels to evacuate troops and equipment. The primary route out is via the Khmeimim Airbase to Russian airfields in Ulyanovsk, Chkalovsky, and Privolzhsky, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported on Tuesday.

Several An-124 and Il-76MD aircraft, as well as naval vessels, including the cargo ship Sparta II and the landing ship Alexander Shabalin, have been deployed in support of the operation. Other ships, such as the Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, have already departed for the Mediterranean.

HUR also added that the “Enemy frigates Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Golovko are also involved in the ‘Syrian Withdrawal’ operation."

In the port of Tartus, Russians are conducting the emergency dismantling of equipment and military assets. Several hundred Russian special forces have already arrived to ensure the security of the withdrawal.

Interestingly, Russia is likely trying to negotiate with Syria's anti-government forces for a safe exit, changing its rhetoric regarding the rebels to a more neutral tone.

"Even representatives of Moscow's so-called diplomats no longer label the groups opposing Assad's regime as ‘terrorists’ but demonstrate a neutral, even ‘friendly,’ public rhetoric,” the HUR report states.

Russian military personnel remaining in Syria are reportedly disappointed and demoralized. They express dissatisfaction with their leadership, accusing commanders of failing to organize the withdrawal. One of the bases where Russian soldiers are stationed is reportedly under siege.

Other Topics of Interest

Ukraine Denies Discussing Christmas Ceasefire with Hungary’s PM Orban

The Ukrainian president pushed back against claims that he had spoken with Orban about ending the conflict after the Hungarian PM claimed Zelensky had rejected a deal.

On Sunday morning, Dec. 8, it was reported that Bashar al-Assad's regime, which ruled Syria for more than two decades with Moscow's support in recent years, had fallen.

On Sunday morning, rebel leaders published a statement that Assad had left the country, ending the fifty-year Assad dynasty, supposedly bringing an end to the civil war that has devastated the country for more than a decade.

What is Russia doing in Syria?

Russia's intervention in Syria's armed conflict began in 2015, initially aimed at supporting President Assad's regime during the civil war, led to the permanent deployment of thousands of Russian troops in the region.

Last fall, Moscow transferred some troops and equipment from Syria to the battlefield in Ukraine, potentially leaving its forces in Syria vulnerable to possible Ukrainian attacks in the region.

At the same time, given its prolonged presence in the region, Russia has established a network of recruitment centers there to enlist Syrian mercenaries for the war in Ukraine.

The recruitment of mercenaries is overseen by the “Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides and Refugee Management” at Khmeimim Airbase, which Russia occupies. There, mercenaries are issued Russian passports and subsequently integrated into the Russian Armed Forces.

Ukraine’s special operations in Syria and beyond

In May 2023, HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov pledged to “eliminate Russian war criminals anywhere in the world.”

HUR’s “Khimik” group was responsible for a Sept. 15 attack on a Russian military base in southeastern Aleppo, Syria, which destroyed Russian combat drones and “camouflaged IEDs,” according to Kyiv Post intelligence sources.

Throughout the year, Ukrainian special forces conducted multiple operations against Russian assets in Syria and elsewhere.

Exclusive Kyiv Post footage and photos in July showed continued HUR operations targeting Russian forces in Syria.

It is worth reminding that in early June of this year, Kyiv Post published exclusive footage showing Ukrainian special forces attacking enemy checkpoints, strongholds, foot patrols, and columns of military equipment on the Golan Heights in Syria.

At that time, a Kyiv Post source in HUR said that since the beginning of the year, rebels, with the support of Ukrainian fighters, had carried out numerous strikes on Russian military targets controlled by the so-called “Russian Armed Forces Group in the Syrian Arab Republic.”

In addition to Syria, Ukrainian special forces from HUR continue hunting pro-Kremlin mercenaries from the Wagner Group in Sudan and other parts of the African continent.

On Monday, July 29, Kyiv Post received a unique photo of Malian Tuareg rebels posing with the Ukrainian flag, showing their support for Ukraine.

In February, Kyiv Post obtained exclusive video footage showing Ukrainian special forces interrogating captured Wagner Group mercenaries in the Republic of Sudan. In the video, the prisoners admit that they were tasked with going to Sudan and overthrowing the local government.

In January, Kyiv Post published exclusive video footage showing Ukrainian drones destroying “Russian mercenaries” and their “local terrorist partners” in Sudan.

In November of the previous year, Kyiv Post published exclusive video footage showing Ukrainian special forces chasing Wagner mercenaries through the streets of an African city and shooting them up close with RPGs.

These developments highlight Ukraine’s expanding strategic efforts to counter Russian influence worldwide while underscoring the interconnected nature of conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, and Africa.