Russia to maintain military presence in Syria — ISW

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported the information.

According to the report, Russia has secured agreements to maintain its military presence at key bases in the port of Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase in Latakia, where up to 3,000 Russian troops are expected to remain.

At the same time, analysts note that Russian forces are struggling with supplies of drinking water and food. They are awaiting the delivery of essential supplies via military transport aircraft involved in evacuating other Russian facilities from Syria. These developments suggest that the Kremlin does not plan a full evacuation of its bases in the near future.

Satellite images from December 15 show that Russia's Mediterranean fleet includes the frigates Admiral Golovko and Admiral Grigorovich, positioned approximately 15 km off the coast of Tartus, while other fleet ships are currently not detected.

Additionally, according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian forces withdrawing from remote areas of Syria, possibly toward the western coast, are accompanying armed groups that previously fought against Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The ISW also reported that Russia has pulled troops from several bases in northern Syria, such as Manbij and Kobani, amid active hostilities against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are backed by Turkey. There is a possibility that the Russians may abandon their last significant base in Qamishli, as local groups, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian National Army, oppose their presence.

• On December 13, around 1,000 Russian troops withdrew from the Damascus area in a convoy heading toward Tartus and Khmeimim.