Unidentified drones swarmed over the Khmeimim air base in northwestern Syria and air defense systems were activated in response, according to the independent Russian outlet ASTRA Press.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Why It Matters
If the new Syrian government, led by the new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, the head of the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS], is behind the drone attack at the air base, it could sour their relations with Russia. These were already likely to be complex due to Moscow’s previously close relationship with former leader Bashar al-Assad. The Russian government met with Syrian officials in late January to discuss future relations and Moscow’s request to retain its military bases.
What To Know
Oleg Blokhin, a Russian military blogger, wrote on Telegram that “At 2:30 local time, a combat alert was declared. It was designated as ‘attack by a ground enemy.’” He added: “Almost immediately, the ‘Pantsir’ was activated. Shooting and explosions were heard.” The “Pantsir” is in reference to the Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system, an advanced Russian air defense system.
Blokhin said: “By 3:30, the intensity of the shooting had died down, although it was still ongoing.” Newsweek has yet to verify who was involved.
Sabereen News, an Iraqi news outlet, posted on Telegram: “Anti-aircraft guns inside Hmeimim Airport in Syria, which is controlled by Russian forces, confront unidentified drones flying over the Russian base.”
Russia retreated from the Khmeimim air base following the ousting of former Syrian President Assad’s regime by rebel groups in early December 2024.
Satellite images in late December showed that the air base has likely been “vacated” as the majority of the heavy equipment had been removed, and a cargo aircraft had arrived at the facility, according to an anonymous expert who previously spoke to Newsweek.
Russia tried to secure its bases in Syria, including Tartus, a naval base, as well as the Khmeimim air base, after the change in Syrian government. However, Moscow lost the Tartus base at the end of January after Damascus terminated a 49-year investment contract with a Russian construction company signed in 2019 to modernize the port.
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Anton Gerashchenko, the former deputy minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, wrote: “Information appeared online about a drone attack on Khmeimim air base in Syria where Russian troops are stationed. There was no official confirmation. A Russian ‘Z-blogger’ claims it could be a group linked to the new authorities. This is the first attack on Russian military objects in Syria after Assad’s regime fell.”
In a second post on Telegram, Blokhin blamed the new Syrian government for the attack on the Khmeimim air base and wrote: “Actually, this incident once again proves that our bases in Syria will not be allowed to function normally. Such provocations are the minimum, and in the worst case, we risk getting shelling, drone strikes or assaults every day at any moment. Terrorists will always remain terrorists. And HTS is exactly that.”
What Happens Next
It is unknown at this time where the drones came from and how Russia will respond to the attack on the air base.
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