Syria and Russia agree to restructure military bases

Syria and Russia have reached a memorandum of understanding to restructure Russia's military presence in the country, transitioning its two key Mediterranean bases into joint training facilities and transferring civilian operations to Damascus. The agreement, announced by Syria's Foreign Ministry on Sunday, August 9, 2026, concludes 18 months of negotiations and sets a three-month deadline to complete the transition.

Under the deal, Syria will assume direct control over major civilian and commercial facilities at both the Hmeimim airbase near Latakia and the Tartus naval base. This includes the management of Hmeimim Airport and the commercial fourth pier at Tartus port, which will be integrated into the country's civilian administration. The military installations at both sites will be repurposed into joint training and qualification centers designed to serve the security interests of both nations.

The memorandum represents a significant shift in the operational status of Russia's only official military bases outside the former Soviet Union. These facilities were central to Moscow's support for ousted President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war. Following Assad's...