Russia has evacuated some staff from its diplomatic missions in Damascus, as well as personnel from the embassies of Belarus, North Korea, and Abkhazia, according to the Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Management Center.
The ministry did not specify the reasons for the evacuation, which occurred on Sunday, but noted that the Russian Embassy in Damascus remains operational.
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow had established direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Russian diplomats reportedly met with representatives of the group to discuss the security of the embassy and Russian nationals in Syria.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported that Russia is close to reaching an agreement with the new Syrian authorities to retain its two military bases in the country: the naval port in Tartus and the air base at Khmeimim.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Russia has begun withdrawing some heavy equipment and senior officers from the front lines in northern Syria and from positions in the Alawite Mountains. Forces at the two main bases, however, remain in place.
