Russia sets up helicopter base in northern Syria after U.S. exit
Russia has begun setting up a helicopter base at a civilian airport in the north-eastern Syrian city of Qamishli, the Russian Defense Ministry's Zvezda TV channel said on Thursday, showing footage of helicopter gunships arriving there.
The Russian deployment comes less than a month after U.S. forces withdrawing from the area were pelted with potatoes by local residents after President Donald Trump abruptly ordered them to pull back from parts of Syria.
The new base is protected by Pantsir surface-to-air missile systems and three helicopters, including two Mi-35 gunships and a Mi-8 military transport helicopter, have already been deployed there, with more to follow.
