On March 2, 2025, a russian Su-35 executed a dangerous maneuver against a French MQ-9A Reaper UAV during a flight over the Eastern Mediterranean. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu released a video showing the russian fighter dangerously approaching the French drone, seemingly attempting to damage it.
The very occurrence of such an incident suggests that russia is not only sustaining its military footprint in Syria but is also becoming more aggressive in the region—especially if it has escalated to direct actions against French military assets.
Read more: Land Equipment Will Be Shipped to Libya But What russia's Going to Do About Su-34s and Su-25s Left in Syria
russia's Presence in Syria
The Eastern Mediterranean, in this context, refers to the waters off the Syrian coast. It is likely that the French MQ-9A Reaper was conducting reconnaissance in this area to monitor russian military activity on Syrian territory.
As of early 2025, there is no consolidated data on the exact number of russian troops still stationed in Syria. The most recent reference comes from an Al Jazeera report on December 30, 2024, which indicated that up to 10 Su-24M and Su-35 aircraft, along with several transport planes—such as the An-26, An-72, and Il-76—remained at Khmeimim Air Base.
At the same time, no reports have surfaced regarding the transfer of russian aircraft from Syria to Libya, as was previously the case with S-400 air defense systems. This suggests that a contingent of russian aircraft, including the Su-35, is still stationed at Khmeimim.
Strategic Interests and Israel’s Position
Meanwhile, Reuters has reported that Israel, during negotiations with the United States, is allegedly lobbying for the continued presence of russian military bases in Syria. This is reportedly intended to "counterbalance Turkey’s growing influence" while also keeping the Syrian government weak.
While the accuracy of this report remains uncertain, it appears that russia sees no immediate need to withdraw its remaining forces from Syria. Instead, it may even be taking steps to reinforce its presence in the region.
Just weeks ago, the situation for russian forces in Syria appeared quite different. In mid-February 2025, for example, an incident occurred in which russian forces attempted to transport S-300 and S-400 missiles from Tartus. However, Syrian security forces blocked the convoy, preventing it from reaching the port.
Additionally, Defense Express previously reported on the mysterious case of the russian Kildin reconnaissance vessel, which burned for four hours near Syria. The lingering question remains—what exactly was it doing there in the first place?
Syrian Arab Army blocked a Russian military convoy of around 35 military vehicles loaded with air defense missiles and various weapons from entering the city of #Tartus this evening, and the convoy was forced to turn back towards the Hmeimim base in the countryside of Latakia. pic.twitter.com/KBzT1GFabg— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) February 11, 2025
Read more: russia Withdraws Its Only Submarine-Kalibr Missile Carrier From Tartus, Syria
