QAMISHLI, Syria, — Russian forces have begun moving equipment out of their position at Qamishli airport in northeastern Syria, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters and visiting journalists said, as President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government presses to consolidate control over territory long held by the SDF.
SDF fighters stationed near the airport told reporters that Russian units had been shifting matériel in recent days, leaving living quarters largely emptied, with scattered personal items remaining. One fighter, Ahmed Ali, said equipment had been moved “by planes and by land,” though its destination was unclear—either the Russian hub at Hmeimim air base on Syria’s Mediterranean coast or Russia itself.
Russia has not issued an official statement confirming a withdrawal from Qamishli. But multiple Syrian sources told Reuters the move signals an effort to end—or sharply reduce—Moscow’s military footprint in the northeast, even as it is widely expected to retain its more significant coastal air and naval facilities.
The drawdown comes amid rapid battlefield and diplomatic shifts. Government troops aligned with al-Sharaa have taken swathes of northern and eastern Syria from the SDF this month as Damascus seeks to assert authority across the country, following failed integration talks and a missed end-2025 deadline for finalising the merger of SDF-linked institutions into the central state.
A fragile ceasefire between Damascus and the SDF—announced after days of clashes—was extended by 15 days over the weekend (through Feb. 8, according to Reuters), with U.S. mediation continuing and European allies urging strict adherence and restraint.
Against this backdrop, al-Sharaa is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in talks expected to cover bilateral ties and the regional security landscape.
Russia was the closest international backer of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad during the civil war, but has cultivated working ties with al-Sharaa since his takeover. Moscow did not intervene to halt the late-2024 rebel offensive and later granted Assad asylum after he fled, underscoring its preference for preserving strategic basing and influence amid Syria’s changing power map.
