Russian forces began withdrawing troops and equipment from Qamishli airport in northeast Syria on Tuesday, news agencies reported, ahead of a scheduled meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Reporters at the Qamishli airbase said Russian units appeared to be pulling out and that the base looked largely abandoned. Russia has maintained a military presence at the airport since 2019, when it deployed forces there as part of its support for Syria’s former Ba’athist government during the country’s 14-year civil war.

The withdrawal comes as Sharaa and Putin are set to meet on Wednesday to discuss future bilateral relations and regional developments. The Kremlin confirmed the meeting on Tuesday.

“President al-Sharaa will meet with the Russian president to hold talks on ways to develop bilateral relations between the two countries, in addition to discussing developments in the Middle East,” Syria’s state news agency SANA quoted the presidency as saying.

Russia’s military footprint in Syria has significantly diminished since Sharaa took power in 2024, following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad. Assad and his family fled to Moscow after armed groups led by Sharaa seized control of the country.

According to the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, Russian forces are now largely confined to coastal areas, while Moscow’s access to Syria’s Mediterranean port of Tartus has been blocked and Russian companies have lost key economic contracts. Russia has reportedly abandoned its naval base at Tartus, though it still operates the Hmeimim airbase under a 49-year agreement that Syria’s current government has suspended.

The institute said Russia faces deep mistrust among Syrian officials as it seeks to preserve a reduced military role, including discussions about potential redeployment in southern Syria—an idea opposed by Israel. Over the past year, Israel has expanded its military presence around the Golan Heights in southwestern Syria.

Sharaa last met Putin in October, followed by meetings in Moscow between senior Syrian and Russian defense, intelligence, and diplomatic officials the following month.

At the same time, Sharaa has moved closer to Washington. The United States is considering a full withdrawal of its forces from Syria as it transfers counter-terrorism responsibilities to the Syrian government. US troops have operated in Syria for years alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).