The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on 9 August 2026 a memorandum of understanding with Russia on the two bases, after eighteen months of negotiation: the Syrian state takes over management of the civilian facilities, including Khmeimim airport and the commercial berth at Tartus, and the military facilities are to be repurposed as joint training and qualification centres under arrangements preserving both sides' interests, with the transition to be completed within three months.
Why it mattersThe one external presence that predated the transition survives it, in a form that is not a base. Damascus keeps a Russian relationship it can use against dependence on Ankara and Washington; Moscow keeps a foothold on the Mediterranean it could have lost outright. What the training-centre formula means in practice will not be observable until the three months have run, and the module's Russian records say so rather than assuming.
Confidence: ModerateSources: Reuters↗ · Al Jazeera English↗ · The Moscow Times↗MethodologyCorrections
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