Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the military and diplomatic departments to negotiate with Damascus on the transfer of additional military facilities and water within the framework of an agreement on the deployment of a Russian air group, EDNews.net reports citing Bulgarian Military News.

This order of the Supreme Commander was published on the portal of regulatory documents. It is reported that after reaching an agreement, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are authorized on behalf of the Russian Federation to sign the corresponding protocol. In addition, the document, the draft of which was approved by the government, is allowed to make changes “not of a fundamental nature.”

It should be noted that between Russia and Syria there is an agreement on the deployment of an aviation group of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of the SAR. According to the agreement, Damascus transfers for free use to Moscow a site at the Khmeimim airport and the infrastructure facilities located on it. The agreement is valid for 49 years. After this time, the contract is automatically renewed for another 25 years.

As you know, at the moment in Russia, in addition to the Khmeimim air base, Russia also has a naval base in the port of Tartus.

As we reported yesterday, unnamed sources in the Syrian army said that Russia was planned to deploy a new military facility in the eastern part of the Arab Republic.

The recent patrolling by the Russian military of the eastern part of Syria is connected with this fact, and according to a number of data, the key reason for the deployment of a new military base is the blocking of oil smuggling from Syria and the obstruction of any movement of American troops to the west.