Russia and Syria Sign Memorandum on Future of Russian Bases in Country

Syria and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding on reorganizing Moscow’s military presence in the country.

The Syrian news agency SANA reported this, citing the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The agreement is the result of about 18 months of intensive negotiations led by Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. It defines the future status of Russian facilities at Hmeimim and Tartus.

Syria will take control of facilities designated for civilian use, including Hmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial berth at the Port of Tartus. This will allow them to be gradually integrated into the country’s civilian administration.

The parties also agreed to reconsider the role of facilities currently used for military purposes. Under the new arrangements, Russian military bases will be converted into joint training and qualification centers.

The memorandum sets a maximum three-month deadline to complete the transition process, after which the new arrangements will take effect.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the agreement the most important achievement since negotiations began about 18 months ago.

Preparations for the agreement were reported as early as April.

Russian Presence in the Region

In the first weeks after the change in power, Russian forces quickly withdrew from numerous forward positions, outposts and auxiliary facilities scattered across the country. There were more than 20 such locations in total.

The withdrawal was particularly active in northern and eastern Syria and in the mountainous areas of the Alawite Mountains. Moscow focused its efforts on retaining control of two strategically important facilities on the Mediterranean coast — Hmeimim Air Base near Latakia and the naval base in Tartus.

The withdrawal continued gradually throughout 2025. Russia faced restrictions on movement outside the bases, periodic restrictions on access to the Port of Tartus for some ships, and broader pressure from Syria’s new authorities.

Flights to Hmeimim resumed in October 2025 after a several-month pause, while the future of Russia’s military presence was a key issue during Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visits to Moscow in October 2025 and January 2026.

Another important stage came in January 2026, when Russian forces began leaving the base near Al-Qamishli International Airport in northeastern Syria, near the Turkish border.

Russian forces had used the airfield since 2019 as a logistics hub and observation post for monitoring the situation in Kurdish areas. The withdrawal began around the third week of January 2026, with sources describing the move as having taken place during the week before Jan. 26.

Some personnel and equipment were transferred to Hmeimim, while others were sent to Russia aboard Il-76 military transport aircraft. By the end of January, the base had effectively come under the control of Syrian forces, including General Security Directorate units during the transitional period.

Despite the significant reduction in its presence, a limited Russian contingent remains at the two main bases, Hmeimim and Tartus.

The exact number of personnel has not been publicly disclosed, but estimates put the figure at several hundred to around 1,000 troops. They are primarily technical personnel, security forces and a limited air contingent, indicating a significant reduction in Russian forces compared with its peak strength during Assad’s rule.