Russia seems set to establish new military base in northeast Syria
Russia has been fortifying its military presence in Qamishli and appears to be constructing a military base there, its third in Syria.
MOSCOW — Russia may be eyeing a long-term lease for an airfield in the Syrian city of Qamishli, raising speculation that it's planning a third military base in the country.
First reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), the potential development suggests Russian forces have established a headquarters near the Qamishli airport in northeastern Syria near the Turkish border as part of ongoing efforts to convert it to a permanent air base. Asked to comment on the news, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was concise, saying he doesn’t "know who is spreading this [rumor].”
A source in the Russian defense industry told the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta, “It is a story concocted by journalists and Western intelligence agencies." Moscow sees the Coventry, England-based, SOHR monitoring group as a disguise for Western spy and propaganda activities.
In Syria, Russia already has the Kmeimim air base and a naval facility in Tartus. Moscow has rented the latter site for 49 years and is now transforming it into a sophisticated naval base.
