Published On 10/6/2026
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Moscow is discussing with Damascus “a possible restructuring of its military bases in Syria,” praising “the development of relations between the two countries, including all aspects of cooperation and issues related to the Russian military presence in Syria.”
The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 raised questions about the future of the Russian Hmeimim air base in Latakia, and the naval base in Tartous, but Moscow has since established relations with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
When asked about plans to establish a logistics center in Tartous to distribute goods imported from Russia throughout Syria, Zakharova said, “Russian-Syrian cooperation is developing very actively,” adding, “Within the framework of communication with Syrian partners, the issue of the Russian military presence is also subject to discussion, including in the context of a possible restructuring of the role of Russian military installations.”
Discussion in a closed frame
She added that this matter “falls within the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Defense,” noting that “discussion of military presence and military cooperation usually takes place in a closed framework.”
The two Russian bases in Syria are part of Moscow’s military presence in the world. The Tartus naval base is Russia’s only maintenance and resupply center in the Mediterranean, and the Hmeimim air base is a major staging point for military and paramilitary activity under the Kremlin’s control in Africa.
Russian media quoted Zakharova as saying, “Russian-Syrian cooperation is developing very effectively and work is continuing to expand the scope of multifaceted cooperation between our two countries.” She explained that government bodies and business sectors in Russia and Syria are participating in these efforts, and the Russian-Syrian Permanent Committee for Commercial, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation continues to work actively to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Moscow has supported Syria since the beginning of the Cold War era, and recognized its independence in 1944 when Damascus was seeking to get rid of French colonial rule. However, its support for the ousted regime made a wide segment of Syrians view this position as a contribution to the violations and massacres committed by the regime against its people.
Moscow had supported the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad since the outbreak of protests in Syria in March 2011 by using its veto in the Security Council and preventing the referral of the Syrian file to the International Criminal Court.
In 2015, Russian support for the ousted regime developed after the Kremlin announced the start of direct military intervention in Syria based on an official request from the Assad regime, which later led to tipping the balance of power in favor of the regime.
