The Russian navy, army and mercenary contractors are all fleeing Syria. It's beginning to appear unlikely that Russia will have any military presence in post-Assad Syria. I doubt that Russia is sending any of the money it seized from Assad back to Syria -- or that they ever will. Russia's last Mediterranean submarine flees after loss of key naval base The Kremlin has maintained a continuous deployment of submarines in this region for almost a decade. https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/159468/russian-navy-mediterranean-submarine Russia now has no submarines in the Mediterranean Sea in yet another blow to Moscow's military muscle following the loss of its naval base in Syria. Syrian rebels overtook Damascus, toppling over the decades-long authoritarian regime of disgraced President Bashar al-Assad who fled to Russia and was granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. After Assad's fall, Russia, one of Assad's few remaining allies, lost its only naval base on Syria's Mediterranean coast in Tartus. The last submarine, the Improved Kilo Class Noborossiysk (B-61) quietly left the base on the base left on Jan. 2 through the Strait of Gibraltar, the Portuguese Navy confirmed. (More at above url)
Looks like Assad may have suffered a birdstrike. Bashar al-Assad poisoned in Russia? Syria’s ousted president’s test results show ‘exposure to poisonous substance’ https://www.livemint.com/news/world...isonous-substance-choking-11735830841504.html
Some serious German sausage making going on here. It's not a pretty process but has to be done sometimes. The current rebel government has well-known issues but you have to give them a reason to not have to turn to Iran and Russia or China. In some ways, Israel continues to have the right approach which is to work with Syria for the mutual purpose of preventing needs/desires for both Israel and Syria to attack each other. It's an effort that has to be made, but then kill them and their leadership and take out their entire military infrastructure if they stray from that goal. Welcome to the middle east. I do think that Bibi's response to Gaza, Hamas, Hez, and Iran gives Syria plenty to think about if they have any crooked plans to look pretty on the surface but support bad actors in the background. That might not end well. Israel will reduce them to a parking lot in Teaneck, New Jersey. More to come on this bit about aid and investment and sanctions relief in Syria from around the world. Saudis included. Macron will want to showboat back and forth to Syria too, while offering peanuts as he has done in Ukraine. The Europeans will screw everything up though by obsessing over women's rights or lack thereof in Syria. Israel doesnt give a fuck. Just behave yourself and stay on your side of the border. Back to the German sausage making: Germany's Baerbock pledges €50M for Syria at Riyadh talks German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Syrians needed "quick" relief and pledged additional aid. Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is urging Western states to ease sanctions on the country. https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-baerbock-pledges-50m-for-syria-at-riyadh-talks/a-71276877
The Syrian people who lost family members to the Assad regime are directly taking their revenge on the responsible leaders of the old regime. Revenge Attacks in Rural Damascus Raise Human Rights Concerns https://english.aawsat.com/arab-wor...ks-rural-damascus-raise-human-rights-concerns Residents of Dummar, a suburb west of Damascus, publicly celebrated the execution of former local official Mazen Knaineh on Friday, raising alarm among civil society and human rights activists. They called for justice and warned against lawless acts of revenge by armed groups. Local sources said Knaineh had ties to Syrian security forces under former President Bashar al-Assad, particularly Branch 215, accused of killing detainees. Opposition figures claim he aided government raids on Dummar and Hameh in 2016. The execution was reportedly carried out by armed locals who recently joined the new administration’s security forces. Residents had demanded his death, blaming him for the loss of many family members. The incident has fueled calls to stop revenge killings and ensure justice is pursued legally in Syria’s fragile post-conflict period. Civil society activists have raised concerns over the growing trend of extrajudicial executions in Syria, warning that such acts undermine the hopes of building a “new state” grounded in law and justice. Lawyer and civil rights activist Rahada Abdosh expressed strong opposition to field executions, stating they are not a path to healing. “Revenge will only bring more destruction to the country,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat. “The abuse of corpses and the execution of individuals in front of children and their families is particularly troubling.” Abdosh emphasized the need for specialized courts to prosecute those responsible for violence and bloodshed. “We must hold everyone accountable for the harm they’ve caused,” she added. Ahe warned that allowing groups to take action based on public complaints or accusations of crimes could repeat the abuses of the Assad regime, which carried out executions without trials. She said this could “legitimize” the regime’s actions and noted that some accusations might be driven by personal revenge or unverified claims, risking more innocent victims. Abdosh called on the current government to stop individual executions and abuses, urging the creation of a field court for fair trials. She stressed that transitional justice must include both acknowledging the crimes and offering compensation. “Anything outside the law is a crime, and could be considered a war crime,” she added, highlighting that this could harm the government’s efforts to rebuild the country. Sources close to Damascus military operations told Asharq Al-Awsat that there is increasing public pressure on the new administration to quickly deliver justice. They noted that many families are grieving and impatient, while the government continues work on restoring security, disarming groups, and rebuilding, which will take time. Civil activist Salma Al-Sayyad expressed her empathy for the grieving families in Dummar but warned that emotional reactions like vigilante justice could harm innocent people and fuel revenge. “While I understand their pain and their desire for justice, I fear this could lead to more injustice,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat. Al-Sayyad called for a future Syria based on the rule of law, where justice is carried out through fair trials, clear evidence, and a judge. “We need an independent judicial system,” she emphasized. In related developments, Syria’s military operations launched a large security campaign in rural Damascus, targeting individuals connected to the ousted regime. This has led to clashes in areas like Qudsayya, where former regime officers and loyalist fighters are concentrated.
Syrians do not very much care for the Russians -- who destroyed everything they got near while also brutally abusing the local population. ‘They Destroyed Everything’: With Russia Gone, Syrians Begin a Long, Painful Process of Rebuilding https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025...n-a-long-painful-process-of-rebuilding-a87684
The new Syrian government is basically slaughtering all of the Alawites across Syria. This is the minority which was the power base of former dictator Assad. The world -- for the most part -- is ignoring this genocide. Syria’s New Unelected Regime Launches an Ethnic Cleansing Campaign Against Religious Minorities https://www.splinter.com/syrias-new...eansing-campaign-against-religious-minorities
The new government of Syria is rounding up all the Assad regime officials who committed crimes against the Syrian people. These are the evil monsters that were part of Assad's security apparatus -- imprisoning, torturing and executing people. What's behind Syrian authorities' arrest of former Assad officers? https://www.al-monitor.com/original...rian-authorities-arrest-former-assad-officers