Russia has begun withdrawing its forces from an airport in north eastern Syria following recent attacks on Kurdish forces, according to five Syrian sources, in a move that signals a reduction of Moscow’s military footprint in an area Damascus is seeking to bring back under its control.
Russian troops have been deployed at Qamishli Airport since 2019, though their presence there has remained limited compared with Russia’s main air base at Hmeimim Air Base and its naval facility on the Mediterranean coast, where Moscow is expected to maintain forces.
The development comes after Syrian government troops pushed the Kurdish led Syrian Democratic Forces out of large areas of northern and eastern Syria earlier this month, as Damascus moves to reassert authority across the country.
Two sources said Russian forces began a gradual withdrawal from Qamishli Airport last week. One source based at Hmeimim Air Base said some troops would be redeployed to western Syria, while others were expected to return to Russia.
A separate Syrian security source from the western coastal region said Russian military vehicles and heavy weapons had been transferred from Qamishli to Hmeimim over the past two days. Russia’s defense ministry has not commented on the reports.
Last week, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper cited an unnamed Syrian source as saying the Syrian government could request a full Russian withdrawal from Qamishli once Kurdish forces are removed, arguing that there would no longer be a need for a Russian presence there.
On Monday, a source said Russian flags were still visible at Qamishli Airport, along with two aircraft bearing Russian markings on the runway, suggesting the withdrawal is ongoing rather than complete.
Russia, a close ally of former Syrian president Bashar al Assad, has maintained relations with current Syrian president Ahmed al Sharaa since he took office around 14 months ago. Al Sharaa told Russian President Vladimir Putin last year that Damascus would honor all previous agreements between Syria and Russia.
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