Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Syrian Defense Minister Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra are conducting high-level talks in Moscow today with their Russian counterparts. The meetings signal a new chapter in Syria-Russia relations following the recent change in Syrian leadership, with the Syrian Foreign Minister's visit being the first by a senior Syrian official since the fall of the Assad regime. The Syrian state news agency SANA has published an article highlighting these strengthened ties. Syrian Defense Minister Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra is meeting with Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, while Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is holding discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. These engagements underscore Moscow's efforts to forge closer ties with the new Syrian leadership, with Russia maintaining two bases in Syria. The new Syrian government's leadership is reportedly viewed from Moscow as the new authority in Damascus. In other developments within Syria, the second group of 36 families evacuated from the al-Hol detention camp in Hasakah arrived in al-Bab, Aleppo. These families were moved to shelters with medical and legal oversight as part of an agreement between the Syrian government and the SDF, supported by the UNHCR, aimed at closing the camp and reintegrating former detainees. Separately, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have arrested members of the so-called Tribal Army. These individuals had left SDF territory to join a convoy in Suweyda. Their detention occurred days after their return, following tracking through posted videos of killings and looting, as well as local reports.
