President Bashar Assad visited the Russian Hmeymim air base, located in the Western part of the country, the first such visit since Russia has decided to take an active role in the Syria conflict, and provided Assad’s regime with aerial support. Hmeymim base has been at the heart of Moscow’s military effort in support of Assad since 2015, when the Russian air force began bombing insurgents who were threatening Assad’s grip on power. Assad’s tour of the Russian base was scheduled during a visit by Russian Chief of Staff, Valery Gerasimov, who accompanied the Syrian President in a show of Moscow’s unwavering support to the government’s war efforts.
