Khmeimim Air Base

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank off the Spanish coast on December 23, following an explosion onboard. The ship, traveling from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok, was in the Mediterranean Sea between the Spanish city of Águilas and Algeria's Oran when the incident occurred. The explosion caused the ship to list, prompting a hazardous area to be marked for shipping.

After seven days and significant behind-the-scenes activity, Russia seems to have secured the guarantees it demanded from the new administrators of Syria and has decided to proceed immediately with evacuating its major airbase located north of Damascus.

Recent satellite imagery reveals that Russian naval vessels have temporarily departed from the Tartous naval base in Syria, raising questions about Russia's military presence in the region. The images, captured on December 10, show some ships positioned offshore in the Mediterranean, suggesting a possible reevaluation of Moscow's strategic goals in the country.

Israeli forces executed strikes near the Syrian coast yesterday, with explosions reported in the vicinity of the Russian-operated Khmeimim Air Base, located close to Latakia. It remains unclear if the airfield was intentionally hit, marking a potential first if confirmed.

Russia accused Turkey on Wednesday of failing to meet its obligations under a pact to create a demilitarised zone in Syria's Idlib province and of helping militants instead.
The RIA news agency quoted a Russian defense ministry spokesman as saying "terrorist" fortifications had merged with Turkish outposts in Idlib, resulting in daily attacks on Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria.

Russia and the Syrian regime started a joint military exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean, TASS Russian News Agency reported on Dec. 17.

According to the TASS, the exercises involve Russian surface ships and aircraft from the Khmeimim air base, as well as Syrian Navy missile boats and mine warfare vessels.

Russia has delivered dozens of armored vehicles to the Khmeimim Air Base that it controls in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Oct. 26.

Explosions in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia after anti-aircraft defenses on Russian air base Khmeimim fended off a new suicide drone attack on the base, launched by jihadists from nearby Idlib, Reuters and RT reported, citing Syrian television and SANA news agency.

According to Syrian media, the drones were fired at the base from the so-called de-escalation zone, BTA reported.

Russia's defense ministry said early on Tuesday that one if its military aircraft with 14 people on board disappeared from radar screens over Syria at the same time that Israeli and French forces were mounting aerial attacks on targets in Syria.

The MoD said that two Su-34 warplanes "wiped out a workshop of Jabhat al-Nusra where the militants were making attack drones and kept explosives in store," while a Su-35S "eliminated a warehouse of portable anti-aircraft missiles," TASS is reporting.