Russia will retain a military presence in Syria under a new agreement that will transform its longtime bases at Hmeimim and Tartous into joint training centers, while civilian facilities at the sites are transferred to Syrian control, officials and a Syrian source said Tuesday.
Syria and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding on Aug. 9 settling the future of Moscow’s military bases after 18 months of negotiations, according to Syria’s state news agency, citing the Syrian Foreign Ministry. The fate of the installations had been uncertain since longtime Russian ally Bashar Assad fled Syria in 2024.
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Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia
(Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS)
Under the agreement, the Syrian state will assume management of civilian infrastructure, including Hmeimim airport and the commercial berth at Tartous port, allowing the facilities to be gradually incorporated into Syria’s civilian administration.
Military facilities at the two sites will meanwhile be converted into joint training centers, with the transition expected to be completed within three months.
A Syrian source familiar with the agreement said Russian forces would continue to be stationed at the new training centers, although the source did not provide details on troop numbers.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry hailed the agreement as an important step in relations between Moscow and Damascus.
“We regard the signing on 9 August of the memorandum between the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic on the operation of our bases in Hmeimim and Tartous as an important step aimed at further improving bilateral cooperation in the military sphere,” the ministry said.
“We believe that reaching this agreement will give further impetus to the development of the full range of relations between our countries, which are based on a long history of friendship and partnership,” it added.
The agreement allows Moscow to preserve at least part of the military infrastructure that has underpinned its influence in Syria and the wider region for years.
A Russian missile ship sails from the Tartous naval base in Syria
(Photo: AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Russia views the bases as important assets for projecting power across the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Africa. Tartous is Russia’s only Mediterranean repair and replenishment facility, while Syria has also served as a staging point for Russian military contractors traveling to and from Africa.
Moscow granted asylum to Assad and his family after he fled the country.
A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced Assad to death following a trial in absentia, convicting him of crimes including killings, torture and arbitrary arrest during Syria’s nearly 14-year war.
Separately, Russia is also preparing to restore part of its civilian presence in Damascus. State news agency TASS reported that Moscow will reopen its cultural center in the Syrian capital, known as the Russian House, following talks between a Russian delegation and Syrian officials over the weekend.
The military agreement suggests that despite Assad’s removal, Damascus and Moscow are seeking to preserve a working relationship while redefining the Russian role in Syria. The transfer of civilian facilities gives Syrian authorities greater formal control, while the continued presence of Russian personnel ensures Moscow retains a strategic foothold at two of the country’s most important military sites.