Maybe the Russians do not want to be around when Assad lets loose. They are not willing to take the heat and are running out of the kitchen. Could be 100,000 dead is just a number. replaceable quickly by a larger number. Where are those who blast Israel for building homes on Palestinian land ? I presume they accept the death of Syrians as not as not as bad as being occupied by Israelis.

they remember all to well Afghanistan... Looks like a skeleton crew in case of attack. What did Syria guarantee, the price of sunken ships?

Glad they are going as well as the Russians.

in these very difficult days we pray for our soldiers and for the nation israel. if there must be a war, may it be short and decisive. may it put an end to the horrific bloodshed in syria and spare the children from further nightmares. may the enemy learn that peace is the way of the righteous.

Why suddenly they are leaving? Certainly there are some developments we are not aware of. The coming days will tell us...

It's not the US or Asswad they fear....G-d forbid, if the war spills over into the Golan, I don't think the IDF will go tit for tat....They will use every means possible to contain it. Putin knows better than to embroil Russia in a direct conflict with the IDF.

They would offer to lease Russia a naval base. Russia would benefit from having a base in a more stable country than Syria. Russia could provide the sort of vociferous diplomatic support that it now offers Syria. It might be nice to not have to rely on the US so much. A closer relationship to Russia might also encourage aliyah from Russia and the former USSR.

The russians left , too from Egypt just before Sadat started the Yom Kippur war.

Bertram %3 is right - Soviets as well as Russians - ynet in the ideological trap :-) important is to find out what is behind this info - not kosher I am sure!

They know something....

Putin is going to let Obama bury himself in Syria. Putin knows that if he withdraws his troops than America will get directly involved. He also knows the financial meltdown is almost upon us. Putin is a smart player. Better to cut your losses and let your enemies bury themselves in a total disaster.

What the Russians know is called a “No Fly Zone” coming to your nearest Syrian military base very soon and the Russians don’t want their people trapped and killed. The U.S. buildup in Jordan says it all. Assad will be leaving forthwith. His own Ba’ath Party will replace him now if they are smart.

Fact is traditionally the West has been opposed to countries who intend to make living space to the east at the expense of the indigenous population. Don't like Israel being criticised? Withdraw behind the greenline of 1967

Zero appetite for plunging into Syria. Perhaps limited ops to secure bio & chemical stockpiles if the regime appears to be on the verge of collapse, but then it becomes an open question of whether American or Israeli troops move first in that scenario.

but maybe the Russians believe that it is only a matter of time before the rebels overrun the Syrian Med coastline areas including the connections back to the hinterland and Damascus leaving Tartous cut-off? Hezbollah also have said they were withdrawing some fighters so what is really going on?