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A senior delegation from syria’s Ministry of Defence, led by Chief of the General Staff Maj Gen Ali al-Naasan, arrived in Moscow on Wednesday in a bid to deepen armed forces and security coordination between damascus and Russia. Though authorities have described the visit as part of routine diplomatic engagement, it has triggered fierce domestic criticism, with numerous viewing it as a premature rapprochement with a former ally widely blamed for widespread destruction during official-calender/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Assyrian Organization rejects exclusion of Akitu Holiday from Syria’s official calender">Syria’s civil war. The delegation was received by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, as per official statements issued by both the syrian Defence Ministry and Russia’s Ministry of Defence. Talks are expected to focus on enhancing bilateral cooperation in security and defense, at a time when Russian troops remain stationed at strategic locations in Syria, including the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartous naval facility. Post-Assad Reset in Relations The visit is part of a broader diplomatic recalibration following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
It follows a string of high-level meetings aimed at reshaping Syria’s foreign alliances. In July, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra travelled to Moscow for extensive talks with leader Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov—the first such outreach since the fall of the Assad regime. Al-Shaibani met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on 9 September to explore avenues for economic and energy cooperation. These engagements underscore the pragmatic approach adopted by Syria’s transitional administration under interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is scheduled to attend the Russia-Arab League summit in Moscow on 15 October. Flight-tracking data showed a Russian Air Force Il-62 departed Damascus for Moscow on Monday evening, disabling its transponder mid-flight—an indicator of a diplomatic mission.
Furthermore, the same aircraft has previously transported senior Russian envoys including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and special representative Alexander Lavrentyev to Damascus earlier this year. Additionally, domestic Backlash and Social Media Outcry Despite the official framing, images of the Syrian delegation arriving aboard a Russian armed forces aircraft ignited widespread criticism on social media. Syrian journalist Ahmed al-Ramadan wrote: “Russia killed more of us than Bashar’s gangs. Fine, relations with Russia and state policy—we get it. But have you reached the point of groveling?
Additionally, ” He specifically criticized the use of a Russian military cargo plane to transport the delegation. Journalist Abdulaziz al-Khalifa echoed these sentiments, posting: “Russia abandoned Bashar and lost nothing in Syria—not even an apology. Moreover, it…