Russia–Syria relations

Russia and the Syrian regime started a joint military exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean, TASS Russian News Agency reported on Dec. 17.

According to the TASS, the exercises involve Russian surface ships and aircraft from the Khmeimim air base, as well as Syrian Navy missile boats and mine warfare vessels.

Russia has delivered dozens of armored vehicles to the Khmeimim Air Base that it controls in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Oct. 26.

Explosions in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia after anti-aircraft defenses on Russian air base Khmeimim fended off a new suicide drone attack on the base, launched by jihadists from nearby Idlib, Reuters and RT reported, citing Syrian television and SANA news agency.

According to Syrian media, the drones were fired at the base from the so-called de-escalation zone, BTA reported.

AFP - Syria accidentally downed a Russian military aircraft with a crew of 15 onboard when its air defences went into action against an alleged Israeli missile strike, the Russian army said Tuesday.

The incident, which happened late Monday, was the worst case of friendly fire between the two allies since Russia's game-changing military intervention in September 2015.

Russia's defense ministry said early on Tuesday that one if its military aircraft with 14 people on board disappeared from radar screens over Syria at the same time that Israeli and French forces were mounting aerial attacks on targets in Syria.

A US intelligence aircraft flew in the area between Khmeimim and Tartus during the attack on the Russian base in Khmeimim. This was stated by the Russian Defense Ministry, FOCUS reported quoting TASS.

President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying a deal with the Syrian government allowing Russia to keep its air base in Syria for almost half a century, official documents show. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a federal law on the ratification of the protocol and agreement on the establishment of Syrian Army Air Force for a period of 49 years, TASS reported, citing Russia's official legal information portal.

Since World War II, the Mediterranean Sea has been the home to the U.S.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has hit out at the controversial nonprofit White Helmets, calling it a front for Islamic terrorism, and saying they are an example of Western narratives grotesquely distorting the truth about the conflict in the country.