Russia strengthens military base near US troops in northeast Syria

The Russian military has reportedly strengthened its presence at the Al-Qamishli Airbase in northeastern Syria, a new report said this week.

According to Avia.Pro, the Russian Air Force moved a number of helicopters and a cargo plane to the Al-Qamishli Airbase recently, which comes only two weeks after a traffic incident with the U.S. military.

“The Russian military is actively using the capabilities of its second airbase in Syria. So, according to satellite images, at the moment, on the territory of the military airfield in the city of Qamishli, there are at least four combat helicopters and one Il-76 military transport aircraft,” the Russian publication said.

“According to some information, which could not be confirmed without satellite imagery, there are actually at least 6 rotorcraft at the Qamishli airbase, which are used to patrol the northern, northeastern and central parts of Syria, although earlier rotary-winged vehicles were seen only at the Khmeimim airbase,” they added.

The Russian military has been using the Al-Qamishli Airbase since 2019, when an agreement was reached with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) inside the Al-Raqqa and Al-Hasakah governorates.

It should be noted that the U.S. military also has a large presence in the Al-Hasakah Governorate, which makes the recent buildup by the Russian Armed Forces rather interesting at this juncture of the conflict.