Rusia Consolidates Military Presence in Syria – New Military Base near the Golan Heights

Russia is strengthening its military presence in Syria by establishing a new military base in Quneitra, near the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, in a move apparently aimed at preventing Iran or its affiliated militias from using Syrian territory to launch attacks against Israel.

On-site sources reported that Russian forces have set up a military base within the Syrian regime’s 90th Brigade, specifically in the village of Kudna, southwest of the city of Quneitra.

By establishing this base, Russian forces will have a greater capacity to monitor the border area with the occupied Golan Heights, according to Captain Rashid Hourani, a military affairs analyst at the Jusoor Studies Center, as reported by defenseromania.ro.

He explained to “Arabi 21” that “Brigade 90 is deployed in the northern sector of the Syrian front with Israel, and its mission is to confront any surprise Israeli attack for a short period while forces prepare to face aggression.”

Hourani stated that the establishment of a Russian base in this brigade holds several implications, the most important being that Russia is completing what it started after the aggression against Gaza, meaning it is enhancing its military presence in southern Syria to ensure the regime’s non-participation and to prevent any Iranian or affiliated militia attacks against Israel, in exchange for rehabilitating and sustaining the regime.

Furthermore, Russia aims to intensify its presence in the south to control Syrian military decisions, despite the presence of Iran and its militias in Syria.

The number of Russian force points in the area separating the Golan Heights from Syria has exceeded 15 points, as Russia installed a new point in April, concurrently with increasing ground patrols of the military police along the separation line.

Russia also responds to the expressed need for Israeli security maintenance by the West.

Brigadier General Abdullah Al-Asaad, Director of the Rasd Center for Strategic Studies, confirmed that the condition of “maintaining Israeli security” was the first American request addressed to Russia before allowing it to direct military intervention in Syria in 2015.

He told “Arabi 21”: “Russia has established several military bases near Brigades 90, 61, and other regime barracks.”

According to Al-Asaad, the most significant aspect is that Russia is currently focusing on establishing military bases in the south and north of Syria under the pretext of ensuring border security with Israel in the south and with Turkey in the north, referring to the new Russian base in Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) near Turkey about a month ago.

Al-Asaad stated that Russia aims to take control of the Syrian issue, especially as many neighboring countries of Syria fear threats emanating from Syrian territory.

Poltical analyst Fawaz Al-Mufleh believes Russia intends to block any attempts to involve the Syrian regime in the conflict with Israel.

He told “Arabi 21”: “Russia wants to neutralize Syria and will only guarantee this by being present near the border, especially as the demarcation line there has witnessed, since the beginning of the aggression against Gaza, the launching of shells from Syrian territory.”

In July, the Israeli army announced it had targeted Syrian military infrastructure in the buffer zone in the Golan Heights in response to what it deemed “violations” that occurred in the buffer zone.