ALBAWABA - According to the U.S. National Public Radio (NPR), Russia may be getting ready to leave Syria as the opposition makes more progress. According to the report, Russian ships have been seen leaving the Tartus port, a significant naval facility on Syria's coast.
This occurs while the Assad regime is under increasing pressure from Syrian armed opposition forces, who are still making significant progress. According to a Kremlin official cited by Bloomberg yesterday, Moscow has no intention of stepping in to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Citing growing instability, the Russian embassy in Damascus recently called on Russian citizens to depart the nation. The embassy did, however, promise that business would carry on as usual.
As part of the Astana process, Iran, Russia, and Turkey have been holding frequent trilateral discussions to address Syria's future. While Tehran and Moscow continue to back Assad, Turkey backs the opposition.
Opposition forces have successfully launched a number of offensives since November 27, taking Aleppo on November 29 and Idlib the next day. They had taken over Hama by Thursday.
Al-Rastan and Talbiseh in Homs province, along with parts of Suwayda and Daraa, were added to the opposition factions' sphere of influence on Friday. Leaders of the opposition have reaffirmed that toppling the Assad government is their ultimate objective.
According to a recent New York Times article, the swift advances of Syrian opposition fighters took U.S. officials by surprise. The Assad regime's tenuous hold on important cities like Aleppo particularly shocked them.
There are still concerns regarding Russia's future involvement in Syria and the stability of the Assad government as the opposition keeps building on its victories.
