Russian Troops Arrive at the Border Between Syria and Israel

The Russian military with 15 pieces of military equipment arrived in the Syrian province of Quneitra on the border with Israel, near the “buffer zone”.

This was reported by the Israeli media outlet 9tv, citing Syria TV.

According to the publication, the Russian military delegation arrived in the Quneitra province in the Syrian part of the Golan Heights. It includes more than 15 pieces of military equipment. The final point of their route is the village of Sayda el-Hanout in the south of the Syrian Golan Heights near the buffer zone.

According to the newspaper, this is likely to be part of a security agreement in southern Syria that is currently being discussed.

Syria is interested in the Russian military police resuming patrolling the southern provinces of Syria. As it did before the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on December 8, 2024.

Such a measure, according to the Syrian government, could limit the military activity of Israel, which has occupied part of southern Syria since December 2024 and continues operations in this area.

In the summer of 2025, Russia resumed patrolling in Syria for the first time since the overthrow of the Assad regime in late 2024. This happened near the northeastern city of al-Qamishli, a few days after the Syrian Foreign Minister’s visit to Moscow on July 31-August 1.

The military convoy, accompanied by two helicopters, proceeded east of the town, which is located on the border with Turkey. This happened in parallel with the resumption of the Syrian Express.

After the change of power in Damascus, the Russian military retained the Navy’s logistics center in the province of Tartus, as well as the Khmeimim air base in the province of Latakia. Russian aviation also continues to operate the military airfield in al-Qamishli.

Back in March 2025, Israel tried to convince the United States that Syria should remain a weak and decentralized state. According to the sources, Israeli officials tried to convince the Americans that Russia should keep its Mediterranean naval base in the Syrian province of Tartus and its Hmeymim air base in the province of Latakia.

“Israel’s biggest fear is that Turkey will come in and protect this new Syrian Islamist order, which will then become a base for Hamas and other militants,” said Aron Lund, a research fellow at the American think tank Century Foundation.

When Israeli officials presented Russia’s continued presence in a positive light at the meeting with the Americans, some participants were surprised, arguing that NATO member Turkey would be a better guarantor of Israel’s security, two American sources said. Israeli officials were “adamant” that this was not the case, the sources said.