According to sources speaking to the Financial Times, Russia will deploy 2,000 military personnel to its new air base in Latakia. A Syria advisor to Moscow, who wished to remain anonymous, told the paper that the 2,000 military personnel will make up only the first stage of Russia’s Syria mission.
Engineers, fighter plane crews, and soldiers will be deployed to secure the air base. Sources could not confirm earlier reports about the delivery of surface-to-air missiles and fighter planes to Latakia.
Due to fears that the increasing Russian military presence in Syria may upset the balance of power in the country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a visit Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin on Monday. At the meeting, Putin said Russia’s actions in the Middle East “always were and will be very responsible” and reassured the Israeli Prime Minister that Syrian forces do not pose a threat to Israel.
Russia is to deploy 2,000 military personnel to its new air base near the Syrian port city of Latakia, signaling the scale of Moscow’s involvement in the war-torn country. The deployment “forms the first phase of the mission there,” according to an adviser on Syria policy in Moscow.
Earlier this week, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that more than 1,700 Russian military personnel are currently stationed at the Syrian port of Tartus. They have reportedly been deployed to the Russian Navy’s logistics and maintenance support center.
Various media sources have been reporting on Russia’s growing military presence in Syria since early September. Russia has claimed that its military cooperation with Syria is legal and in line with contracts for weapons supplies. Russian authorities say there are no Russian soldiers participating in the fighting in Syria.
In mid-September, Stratfor published satellite images showing construction at Assad International Airport near Latakia in Syria. Moscow announced on September 15 that Russia is participating in the construction because the airport’s airstrip is in such poor condition that it is impeding necessary military operations in the country. According to a military source speaking with the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, these operations include delivering humanitarian aid and weapons purchased by Syria. The source also said that Russian soldiers are guarding the airstrip and the delivery of goods, but are not participating in any fighting in the country.
On September 16, Russia’s military high command warned that Moscow may build an air force base in Syria.
The Foreign Minister of Syria has warned that Damascus may ask Moscow to bring in Russian troops.
On September 18, a group of Russian soldiers reportedly refused to be deployed in Latakia, Syria, on secret orders. They told Gazeta.ru that they have appealed to the Military Prosecutor’s Office to dispute the deployment, and several have submitted letters of resignation from the army.
For more on what we know and don’t know about Russia’s role in the Syrian civil war, see Russian troops in Syria: What we know and don’t know about the Russian military’s role in the Syrian civil war