OCCUPIED

Russia Takes Over Vacated U.S. Air Base in Northern Syria

Footage aired on Russian TV reportedly shows U.S. equipment that had been left behind after President Trump's order to withdraw.

Russia has landed attack helicopters and troops at an air base in northern Syria that was vacated by U.S. forces last month, Reuters reports. Footage aired on the Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda TV channel Friday showed Russian military police flying into the Syrian air base in northern Aleppo province, near the border with Turkey. Zvezda claimed the facility will now be used as a hub for distributing humanitarian aid and the military aerodrome will be controlled by Syrian government forces allied with Moscow. “We entered the base and took the inner and external perimeter under control,” a senior Russian military police inspector was quoted as saying by Zvezda. The footage shows U.S. equipment that had been left behind, as well as a gym and sleeping facilities. The air base was left empty after President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops last month.