Back قاعدة حميميم الجوية Arabic Xmeymim aviabazası Azerbaijani Khafr Bū at Taḩtā CEB Letecká základna Hmímím Czech Khmejmim Air Base Danish Militärflugplatz Hmeimim German Base aérea de Jmeimim Spanish پایگاه هوایی حمیمیم Persian Hmeimimin lentotukikohta Finnish Base aérienne de Hmeimim French
| Hmeymim Air Base (Latakia Air Base) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Авиабаза «Хмеймим» قَاعِدَةُ حُمَيْمِيمِ الْجَوِّيَّةِ | |||||||||
| Latakia International Airport Near Hmeimim in Syria | |||||||||
 Satellite imagery of Khmeimim air base | |||||||||
.jpg) A Russian Su-24 bomber at Khmeimim Air Base | |||||||||
  Khmeimim Air Base Position in Syria | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 35°24′42″N 35°56′42″E / 35.41167°N 35.94500°E | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner |  Russian Armed Forces | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 2015 | ||||||||
| In use | 2015–present | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 48 metres (157 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Khmeimim Air Base (Russian: Хмеймим), also Hmeimim Air Base (Arabic: حميميم), is a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria and approximately 2 miles north-east of the coastal town of Jableh. The airbase shares some airfield facilities with Latakia Airport. The legal status of the base is regulated by a treaty Russia and Syria signed in August 2015. At the end of 2017, Russia said it had decided to turn the Khmeimim base into a component of its permanent military contingent stationed in Syria.
During the late stages of the Syrian civil war, following 2024 Syrian opposition offensives and the military offensive of a Turkish-backed coalition of forces organized as the Syrian National Army, the Assad regime fell and the Russian base in Latakia came under threat. On 7 December 2024, it was reported that Russia was preparing to evacuate its assets from the airbase.[1] Russian forces were observed transferring S-400 and Tor air defence systems to their naval base at Tartus.[2] On 8 December, Russian control of the airbase was under serious threat from advancing rebel forces.[3] Bashar al-Assad, until then president of Syria, said that he went to the airbase after his opponents were closing in on Damascus, and that he was then evacuated to Russia on 8 December although he wanted to continue fighting.[4] Later reports emerged that opposition "had no plans to penetrate" military bases, and Russia prefers to deal with new Syrian leadership.[5]
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reuters20241208was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Clinton, Jane (16 December 2024). "Assad claims he wished to keep fighting as Syrian regime fell but Russians evacuated him – Middle East crisis live". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2024. Live site - see entries for 16 December c.13:00.
- ^ Sauer, Pjotr (9 December 2024). "Moscow reaches out to new Syrian leadership in move to secure bases". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2024.