--- description: The Pentagon believes Russia is planning to build a military forward air operating base at an airport in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia. title: The Pentagon Says Russia Is Planning an Air Base in Syria image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e889924464af171/698863973c16391331459b9f/gettyimages-474696412.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Syria](/tag/syria/) ## Syria Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Pentagon Says Russia Is Planning an Air Base in Syria by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 15, 2015 6:17 AM CUT  Passengers disembark from a Syrian airplane, coming from the northern Syrian province of Qamishli, upon their arrival at al-Basel Internation Airport in the coastal city of Latakia on May 24, 2015. Passengers disembark from a Syrian airplane, coming from the northern Syrian province of Qamishli, upon their arrival at al-Basel Internation Airport in the coastal city of Latakia on May 24, 2015.YOUSSEF KARWASHAN—AFP/Getty Images by [Joanna Plucinska](/author/joanna-plucinska/) ## Joanna Plucinska Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 15, 2015 6:17 AM CUT The Pentagon believes Russia is planning to build a military air base at an airport in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, [ABC radio](http://www.wbal.com/article/121680/112/russia-building-up-military-presence-in-syria-pentagon-confirms "undefined") reports. The city is one of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s remaining bastions of power. Russia has refused to comment on the allegations, Reuters [says](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-idUSKCN0RE1VG20150914 "undefined"). “We have seen indications in recent days that Russia has moved people and things into the area around Latakia and the air base there,” Navy Captain Jeff Davis reportedly said Monday at an off-camera briefing. The Pentagon claims to have spotted 200 naval infantrymen and twelve army personnel carriers in the area. Russia is one of the biggest supporters of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, while many Western countries oppose both the regime and its enemy ISIS. Davis said that the U.S. would be happy to accept the support of Russian troops in the coalition fight against ISIS, but not if they are fighting with the Syrian regime. Reports out of [Lebanon](http://time.com/4030812/russian-troops-military-syria-united-states-terrorism/ "undefined") earlier this month asserted that Russian troops had joined Syrian military operations. According to [Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/14/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-idUSKCN0RE1VG20150914 "undefined"), Syria’s ambassador to Russia, Riad Haddad, vehemently denied any military presence in Syria at a press briefing on Monday. He made the denial even though the Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the presence of military advisers in the war torn nation. ### Satellite Photos Show Most of Syria Without Lights  Satellite imagery of Syria in March 2011. #withSyria  Satellite imagery of Syria in March 2012. #withSyria  Satellite imagery of Syria in March 2013. #withSyria  Satellite imagery of Syria in March 2014. #withSyria  Satellite imagery of Syria in February 2015. #withSyria ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4034360/russia-syria-air-base-military-aid/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4034360/russia-syria-air-base-military-aid/"},"headline":"The Pentagon Says Russia Is Planning an Air Base in Syria","datePublished":"2015-09-15T06:17:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:40.889Z","description":"The Kremlin has yet to comment on the allegations","url":"https://time.com/4034360/russia-syria-air-base-military-aid/","keywords":["Syria","Military","russia","U.S.","Pentagon","Bashar al-Assad","moscow"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e889924464af171/698863973c16391331459b9f/gettyimages-474696412.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joanna Plucinska","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/joanna-plucinska/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e889924464af171/698863973c16391331459b9f/gettyimages-474696412.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"SYRIA-CONFLICT-AIRPORT","caption":"SYRIA-CONFLICT-AIRPORT","creditText":"YOUSSEF KARWASHAN—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/syria/","name":"Syria"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4034360/russia-syria-air-base-military-aid/","name":"The Pentagon Says Russia Is Planning an Air Base in Syria"}}]}] ```