JAN 27, 2026
Russian forces have carried out a limited redeployment from Qamishli Airport in northeast Syria, transferring equipment and personnel to Hmeimim Air Base on the coast
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host Syria’s self-appointed President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Moscow this week to discuss the post-Assad “transitional period” and regional developments, the Kremlin announced on 27 January.
The Kremlin said the talks will focus on “the state and prospects for developing bilateral ties” and “the current situation in the Middle East,” with the meeting taking place during Sharaa’s working visit to Russia.
The visit comes as Moscow recalibrates relations with Damascus following the ousting of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, despite Russia’s decade-long military intervention that once kept him in power.
Days before the scheduled meeting, Russian forces began a phased withdrawal from Qamishli Airport in northeast Syria, relocating personnel and equipment to the Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia, according to a security source cited by Shafaq News last week.
The source said the evacuation began on 23 January under a decision to clear the site of Russian presence, starting with two Ilyushin cargo aircraft transporting heavy equipment, followed by vehicles and individual soldiers.
The final stage involved the relocation of what the source described as an “elite team,” marking the departure of the last Russian contingent stationed at the airport. The redeployment was carried out in coordination with both Syrian and US sides, according to the same account.
AP journalists who visited the base next to Qamishli airport reported it was guarded by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters, who said Russian troops had been “evacuating bit by bit” over several days.
Ahmed Ali, an SDF fighter deployed at the facility, said the Russians withdrew equipment by cargo plane, adding, “We don’t know if its destination was Russia or the Hmeimim Air Base.”
A Cradle report from late 2025 of plans to re-establish nine military positions in southern Syria to act as a buffer near the Israeli border. Those efforts appear to have stalled due to regional objections.
The Cradle columnist Aghiad Hegazi argues that “Moscow plans to reactivate the nine posts across Quneitra and Deraa and has already established a permanent logistics hub in Quneitra to assess engineering, infrastructure, and supply-line needs ahead of potential redeployment.”
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