The redeployment of Russian forces present in Syria since 2015 is widely documented on social networks. Numerous satellite photos have been published in recent days, to which are added amateur videos, but also from our special correspondent, which are all valuable clues and testimonies on the current situation around the main Russian air base in Syria.
Moscow communicates little about its military presence in Syria, but certain signs are unmistakable. This Sunday, December 15, part of the Russian diplomatic staff in Damascus was repatriated from Syria to Russia, Kremlin diplomacy announced. These diplomats left from the Hmeimim base in the northwest of the country, the crisis situations department of the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Telegram.
The base is therefore still active. It welcomes large aircraft, which have been increasing their number of rotations in recent days. This weekend, Russian IL-76 cargo planes and An-124s were filmed landing and taking off in Hmeimim. They take on board men and equipment. The flight, on December 16, of an Ilyushin-62 operating regularly on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and having landed in Moscow a few hours later, suggests that it was the aircraft transporting Russian embassy officials.
Generally speaking, since last week, we have seen a lot of “ white planes » on the tarmac of the base, transport planes, but also passenger planes, even business planes. Generally, you can count these planes on the fingers of one hand.
Read more on RFI
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