Russia Begins Withdrawing Troops, Aircraft From Syria

Tyler Durden's picture

Most of the remaining Russian forces operating in Syria, including the Tu-22M3 long-range bombers and Beriev A-50 AWACSs are returning to home just days after President Vladimir Putin surprised the world by announcing that Russian military forces would swiftly withdraw from Syria – a promise that elicited accusations of insincerity from the West.

The first contingent of Russian aircraft left on Tuesday, according to Russia Today.

A Russian military police battalion of the Southern Military District arrived aboard two cargo aircraft in the city of Makhachkala, in the North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, according to the Defense Ministry.

The ministry published a video of warplanes departing Syria at dawn followed by military accompanied by footage of soldiers’ relatives greeting them in Russia.

A Russian military police battalion was deployed to Syria in December 2016 to maintain security in de-escalation zones. The officers escorted more than 1,700 humanitarian convoys and ensured civilians’ security.

The first military aircraft to arrive back in Russia were the Tu-22M3 bombers and the Beriev A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft. The long-range bombers landed at their home airbase in Russia’s Kaluga region after a brief interlude in North Ossetia.

“Flight crews successfully accomplished tasks on delivering strikes on terrorists’ objects in the Syrian Arab Republic,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement. It did not elaborate on how many Tu-22M3 aircraft arrived at the base.

The A-50 arrived in Russia’s Ivanovo. The pilots were greeted with accolades for a “successful task performance."

A total of 25 aircraft, as well as Russian special forces, military police and sapper teams are preparing to leave Syria, where they have assisted Syrian government forces in the battle against the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists since September 2015. The terrorists have been more or less vanquished – no longer holding any significant territory in Syria. On December 6, the Russian General Staff declared the liberation of Syria from IS, saying that “all terrorist units of ISIS” in the country had been destroyed.

After the withdrawal, Russia will continue to use Khmeimim Airbase and the Syrian port of Tartus, which provides technical support for the Russian Navy, and the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria will keep working.
 

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shitshitshit's picture

This is mission accomplished contrary to the comedy played by dubbya in afghanistan a few years back.

Thank you Mister Vladimir Vladimirovitch Putin.

PS: of course they'll be back, once the americanos are ridiculed by hezbollah and various locals and have to retreat the tail between their legs. The ploy to avoid direct confrontation, hence WW3 is in place, and Vlad knows Iran & Hezbollah are more than up to the job. Cost effectiveness at its greatest indeed. And of course americanos think they own the place now. muhaha!

You can also consider this as asymetrical warfare, because in so doing israel will not have any opportunity to use their submarines/nukes like they planned to do.

This Vlad is quite clever, always.

 

07564111's picture

Putin drafts bill for expansion of Russian navy base in Syria

https://www.rt.com/politics/412950-putin-drafts-bill-seeking-expansion/

Just so that there will be no further attempts at mischiefs by those we know so well ;)

 

BennyBoy's picture

 

US/CIA should follow Putins example and pull out of Syria.

Lost in translation's picture

And you should be aware that, once the US has its Johnson in some poor country’s bum, it never pulls out ‘til finished.

JohninMK's picture

This is a really top grade PR operation that we are seeing, genuine smoke and mirrors or even a Russian matryoshka doll, a doll within a doll. Getting the maximum positive publicity from moves they had to make.

The reality is that with the collapse of ISIS in Eastern Syria, where most RuAF operations took place, the Russians no longer needed long range strike planes and their fighter escorts (to protect them from the USAF). As the fighting now, against terrorists not armed moderate opposition, is almost 'just round the corner' from their airbase they only need short range attack aircraft and helicopters as well as artillery units, all of which were ignored in the announcements.

Also, they no longer have a requirement for the field hospital, police units, some special forces etc. Incidently, the first evidence of a pull back came last week when one of their cargo ships was spotted northbound in the Bosphorus with what looked to be unused cargo lorries onboard.

However, as with their previous similar announcements, the Russians have shown that they can move back in as fast as they move back out so if something unexpected happens they can respond.

The article is also wrong. The Tu-22M3 were never stationed in Syria, I don't think they have even landed there but that could be wrong. There going home is from their forward operational airfield in North Ossetia, from where they made combat sorties, returning to their bases of permanent deployment in other parts of Russia.

JohninMK's picture

This move by the Russians is the Kremlin apparently not backing Damascus's ambitions , of perhaps driving the US out, any more. Well at least not until after Russia's March 2018 presidential election. The emphasis is now on peace talks.

Putin wants to go into those elections on a high.

If he has to go into either Syria again or Ukraine it will be spun as a peacemaker forced again to separate the squabbling locals. He is now building up his credibility in when he says that it is a short term move, it is the truth.

You have to wonder what the US's public's view would have been if they knew before the event that the US would have occupation troops in Germany, Korea, etc etc for up to 70 years and counting.

Ghordius's picture

"This is mission accomplished contrary to the comedy played by dubbya in afghanistan a few years back.

Thank you Mister Vladimir Vladimirovitch Putin."

Dubya's goal was Eternal War for the US. and, indeed, the US had 100% "Wartime", so far in this 21st Century

compare with the less exreme 75% of the second half of the 20th, or the 25% of th. first half

War is The Most ExpensiveThing Ever. just a thought, folks

Parrotile's picture

Seems the Russians are happy to be invited to do a specific job, and once that job's complete, are happy to NOT out-stay their welcome, unlike certain "other Countries" which just hang around, being a bit of a nuisance.

No doubt Russia may be invited to return, should things become "interesting" once again . . . . . 

BobEore's picture

Aparently unable/ most definitely unwilling, to distinguish between public relations gambits related to realpolitik moves of the kind we see in the muddled east, every freakin day o the week...and hard cold FACTUAL evidence of any major shift in the balance of power presence of the various players palavering/salivating over Syria,

Merikanskis of the notoriously naive kind have rushed to 'high five' the jive which their mediamasterz pump out in unending effusions of gleeful deceit. Russia will maintain two large military bases in Syria with a sizeable military force in the field. Ok. Iran will be maintaining its' militias in the same locations, in the same troop strengths as previous to the trumpeted message of "withdrawal." The Turks and their jihadi proxies will still be squattin pon Syrian soil, and the sraelis free to lob large objects wherever/whenever they choose. Last but not least... USA 'advisors' will be maintaining their firebases and "outreach" centers exactly as before.

End result? No change, save for Daesh being removed and placed in cold storage for future re-use. Yet another media spectacle of fakenews from abroad, to complement the steady diet of fakenews from within the home gulag. Yowser.

In other fake news today...

NFL Allstars lend a knee, towards the cause of resettling LBGT refugees from Goldburg into shiny new BITCOIN temporary shelters, on the way to their permanent new housing in NewYorkFederalReserve incinerators!

BobEore's picture

Voice: but butt... if the Russkies are really NOT going anywhere.... SHURELY THE CHINESE are leaving!!!

Voice Too: Give it up Elmer... we phucked that one up big time too! http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-29/china-deploy-elite-troops-syria...

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/china-officially-denies-sending-tro...

Voice: err... whadayya mean by that?

Voice Three: They never arrived - moron!

Conscious Reviver's picture

Spacibas Russia, Russian people Russian military and of course the one and only VVP. 

East Indian's picture

An obscure guerilla militia attacking the American soldiers in Syria in 5...4...3...2...1...

LA_Goldbug's picture

That's how easy it is to take out Toyota armed desert rats IF ONE WANTS TO.

beijing expat's picture

I suspect the empire will follow suit. They have lost the Syrian gambit, but have a face saving opportunity to say "we won" and get out as well.

Swamp Yankee's picture

GR8, time to go home (a fella can dream, yes?)

Brazen Heist's picture

This makes a complete mockery of the illegal US presence in Syria.

new game's picture

if only merikans knew what really happened...

Pliskin's picture

Job done, going home...simple!

Hopefuly Mr. Trump will order ALL U.S. personel out of the sovereign country of Syria aswell.

I can only imagine these countries in rhe Middle East are sick to fuck of all the American migrants in their countries!

 

Pliskin's picture

As a side note...how about getting the fuck outa Cuba aswell?!?

 

JohninMK's picture

Perhaps you might explain just what Russian military is actually in Cuba. And Chinese come to that.

Mind you if the US keeps poking Russia there will be a big temptation to send some units there. For warm weather exercises of course!

xzandrax's picture

Ivane, Ivane, dajba i fejk n\za ti. W Siriq ne e imalo Tus-22.

Tu22 always fly from Russia to Syria and return, those planes never were stationed in Syria. As for the "withdrawing troops" it suggest compelte withdraw, but actually it's partially, half of the planes will remain. As for the russian A50 awacs, one returned in Russia, but another was send to Syria. So yeah, ZH is fake news.

God is The Son's picture

Americans Lost the Syrian War. Their Sunni Islamic Jihadists Failed. Obama Bin Laden (Marxist Islamite and Donaldo Zionist Trump, faced defeat by Christian Orthodx Russian Forces and Shia Islamic Forces. 

God is The Son's picture

Trump is Zionist, a Nationlistic International Zionism and Not a Christian, Obama is Marxist ( aka Secular International Zionism), Left Leg of Devil and Right Leg of the Devil

Son of Captain Nemo's picture

A cautionary note from the ex-Congressman "Von Mises" scholar who didn't do enough to stop it 16 years ago when it was "insolvent" THEN and should have done MORE...

https://www.rt.com/usa/412908-hidden-us-troops-ron-paul/