Syria reclaims control of key coastal sites in deal with Russia

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Deal gives Damascus control of civilian facilities at Tartus and Hmeimim, while Russian military sites are converted into joint training centres Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and his delegation tour Latakia International Airport and the port of Tartus, on 9 August 2026 (Syrian Foreign Ministry/Telegram) Off Syria and Russia have reached a memorandum of understanding to scale back Moscow's military presence on Syria's Mediterranean coast, ending 18 months of negotiations over t