Kremlin confirms ongoing Russia-Syria talks on military base security amid tensions

Russia continues to maintain ongoing contacts with Syrian authorities, including discussions concerning the presence of Russian military bases in Syria, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

During a briefing with journalists, Peskov emphasized that Russia's diplomatic efforts with Syria remain active, with the issue of military bases continuing to be a key topic of international discussions, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"Contacts with the Syrian authorities continue. The Syrian issue figures prominently in our international contacts, as evidenced by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's recent visit to Ankara. The working process is ongoing," Peskov stated.

This statement comes in the wake of reports on February 18 from military correspondent Oleg Blokhin, who indicated that the Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Syria had been placed on combat alert due to an attack by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, recognized by Russia as a terrorist organization.

However, as of now, there has been no official confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defence or the Syrian government regarding the attack's details or outcomes.

In the wake of these reports, Alexey Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defence, commented that the new Syrian authorities, who are responsible for securing the region, should be held accountable for any threats posed to Russian military assets in the country.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a faction involved in the Syrian Civil War, has been an active participant in opposition to Bashar al-Assad's government. The group's influence in Syria has grown, and in December 2024, they seized control of Damascus, toppling the Assad regime. Despite these developments, General Viktor Sobolev previously argued that there was little strategic value in Russia's continued defence of its military bases in Syria.

The situation continues to evolve, with Russian authorities monitoring the developments closely and coordinating their diplomatic and military actions in response to the shifting political landscape in Syria.

By Vafa Guliyeva