Russian military has begun large-scale withdrawal from Syria, US and Western officials say

Russia has begun withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to two US officials and a western official familiar with the intelligence.

Russia has begun withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to two US officials and a western official familiar with the intelligence. The officials characterized the Russian withdrawal as large-scale and significant and said it began last week, but it is not clear whether it will be permanent, the officials noted. US and western intelligence suggests that Russian officials have been trying to determine whether Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), the main rebel group now in charge of Syria, is open to a negotiated settlement of some kind that would allow Russia to remain in some of its key bases, the sources all said. Those bases include Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in Latakia and a port facility at Tartus. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a press briefing last week that Russia is in touch with the rebels in Damascus. “We must maintain contact with those who are controlling the situation on the ground because, as I mentioned, we have facilities and personnel there,” he said. Two of the US officials said that the Russians have begun moving naval assets from Syria to Libya, and a separate defense official said Moscow has increased pressure on Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar to secure Russia’s claim to a port in Benghazi.