Russia pays the price for its aggression against Ukraine (it's only the first installment)

In recent days, newspapers and televisions have been relaunching the news coming from Syria, regarding the imminent fall of the Assad family regime, which has ruled the country with an iron fist for almost 55 years.
Few regimes in the Middle East have stood out for cruelty and sadism directed against the local population, particularly against the Sunni majority, as the Assads' regime.

13 years ago, a civil war erupted in Syria, triggered by the chain reaction that was the Arab Spring, and the regime was saved only because of the massive intervention of Russian troops, Iranian military advisors and Hezbollah militias.

The civil war continued uninterrupted since then, alternating bloody clashes which also saw the use of chemical weapons against the civilian population, to moments of precarious truce, exploited by the belligerents to strengthen their respective positions.

This was until two weeks ago. Last week, with a blitz that surprised all observers, taking advantage of the progressive weakening of the Russian military presence and the obliteration of the Hezbollah militias carried out by Israel, the troops opposing the Assads conquered new positions. Today they arrived just 10 kilometers from Damascus, the Syrian capital, which is preparing to suffer a siege.

The Assads' regime days seem numbered. Neither Russia, nor Iran and much less Hezbollah have the military strength to oppose the rebel forces supported by Turkey.

But not everyone is aware of what is at stake with the Assads' regime fall. The entire Russian military presence in the Mediterranean Sea is ensured by two bases only, both located in Syria.
The Tartous (Тартус) facility, on the Syrian coast, is Russia's only naval repair and supply center in the Mediterranean Sea. The loss of this base relegates the Russian naval presence in southern Europe to the Black Sea alone, rendering it essentially useless and exposed to easy attacks in the event of conflict with NATO.

The Khmeimim Air Base (Хмеймим), also Hmeimim Air Base, is, on the other end, the only Russian operated airbase in the Mediterranean Sea. Again, the loss of this facility would push Russia away from the southern flank of NATO, deep into the Black Sea.

Reuters published yesterday an interesting article detailing the alarmed reactions of prominent Russian military bloggers, faced with the risk that the entire Russian military presence being obliterated from the Mediterranean Sea, relegating Russia to the simple role of medium sized Asian power, subordinated to the economic and military might of China.

An unintended consequence of Putin's criminal military adventurism.

https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-bases-syria-threatened-by-insurgent-advance-say-moscows-war-bloggers-2024-12-07/