Negotiations are currently underway for Russian troops to remain at the naval port in Tartus and at the Khmeimim air base, sources familiar with the matter in Moscow, Europe and the Middle East told Bloomberg, quoted by BTA .
Russia's Ministry of Defense believes it has an informal agreement with "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" to preserve the Syrian bases, a Russian source pointed out.
However, the situation may change given the instability in Syria, he warned.
The naval base in Tartus is the only Russian center in the Mediterranean. Hmeimim Airport is being used to support Russian security operations in Africa, allowing Moscow to project political and economic influence and regain some of its Cold War-era authority on the continent.