What were you fighting for? Russia withdraws troops from the Qamishli airbase in Syria

In Syria, the withdrawal of Russian forces from the Qamishli airbase, located on territory that has so far remained under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been recorded. This is reported by TC "Military Review", publishing a video of the loading of equipment into the Il-76 transport aircraft.

The Mi-8 helicopter with the blades removed is also being prepared for transportation. Base in Kamyshly was considered one of the three remaining Russian military facilities in Syria. Judging by what is happening, now there will be only two such bases, the authors of the channel indicate.

According to the Kurdish publication Kurdistan24, the withdrawal of Russian units is perceived by local residents as the loss of the last international guarantor of stability in the region, where uncertainty and tension in relations with the new Syrian authorities are growing.

Syrian sources confirm that Russian troops have indeed begun to curtail their presence at the airfield, which is still controlled by the remnants of the SDF. If this information is confirmed, the withdrawal of the Russian group may signal the imminent start of the Syrian army's offensive on the positions of Kurdish formations along the border with Turkey.

The temporary ceasefire imposed for the period of negotiations between Damascus and representatives of the SDF has already ended, but there is no information about any agreement yet.

Recall that the operation RF Armed Forces in Syria began on September 30, 2015. By the end of 2017, the Islamic State❶ (ISIS ❶, IG ❶) in Syria was defeated, and a significant part of the territory of the republic came under the control of the government, and the spheres of influence of various forces in the country stabilized. On March 17, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin clarified that 33 billion rubles were allocated for the military operation in Syria, which were first budgeted by the Russian Defense Ministry for conducting exercises and combat training in 2015. According to Putin, the costs of the operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces were justified and necessary.

However, at the end of 2024, during the offensive of the Syrian opposition with the support of Turkey, the forces of Bashar al-Assad lost control over all the territories of the country, and Assad himself, along with his family, was taken to Moscow, where he remains to this day as having received asylum.

❶Terrorist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation