After ~18 months of talks, Syria and Russia signed an Aug. 9 MoU putting Tartus and Hmeimim under Syrian civilian control and recasting them as joint training sites. NATO sources say Tartus has been empty since June; Russia still talks of “military cooperation,” and some personnel may stay.

The author calls Hmeimim the bigger loss: it was Russia’s air hub in Syria. Israeli jets would face fewer Russian deconfliction limits; Israel then struck Abu al-Duhur after a Turkish visit, citing a feared Turkish deployment.

Moscow’s 55-year coastal presence is fading. The piece treats that as a short-term plus for Israel but a new problem if Turkey fills the vacuum—Ankara’s aims (Kurds, refugees, reconstruction, trade) vs. Israeli “red lines” on Turkish forces, the Golan, Druze security, and heavy Syrian weapons.

On August 9, the Syrian foreign ministry announced that, following approximately 18 months of negotiations, Syria and Russia had concluded a memorandum of understanding. The Russian presence at the Tartus naval facility, and at the Hmeimim air base adjacent to Latakia International Airport, would be “reorganized”.  The bases would pass into Syrian civilian administration, and their military facilities would be redefined as joint Syrian-Russian training and qualification centers.

As a result the Russian naval base at Tartus on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, operational for 55 years, is now virtually defunct.  A Nato official is reported as saying: “There has been nothing there since June. That’s the first time in more than 10 years. This is pretty significant.”  

Russian vessels previously stationed in the Med have been diverted to protect Putin’s armada of sanctioned oil tankers which operate principally on Baltic-to-ocean routes, passing through the Danish straits, the North Sea and, in some cases, the English Channel.

Immediately after the announcement, Syrian foreign minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani traveled to the coast with an official delegation.  He inspected both Tartus Port and the Hmeimim air........

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