Russia pulls troops from Qamishli airbase

DAMASCUS

A Russian military police armoured personnel carrier (APC) drives past an equestrian statue of Bassel al-Assad, the late brother of President Bashar al-Assad who was killed in a 1994 motoring accident, near Qamishli Airport currently controlled by Syrian government forces, in the northeastern Syrian city of Qamishli on Oct. 24, 2019.(AFP)

Russia has begun pulling its forces out of Qamishli Airport in northeastern Syria, a move that could mark the end of its military presence in the region, several reports said on Jan. 26, citing sources.
According to the sources, military equipment and heavy weapons have been transferred in recent days to Russia’s Khmeimim airbase on Syria’s western coast.
Part of the Russian contingent is expected to relocate to Khmeimim, while others are set to return to Russia.
Russian troops have been deployed at Qamishli Airport since 2019.
Situated in the administrative center of Syrian Democratic Forces-held region, the base has served as a key outpost for monitoring northeastern Syria and as a logistical hub for troop deployments.
Meanwhile, media reported that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Jan. 28.
No details of the visit have been disclosed, and neither Syrian nor Russian officials have issued official statements so far.
Sharaa last met with Putin in Moscow on Oct. 15 in 2025, marking his first visit to Russia since taking office following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
The reported withdrawal comes amid intensified operations by Syrian government forces in the country’s north.