Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not mince words today (20.05.2025), accusing ‘radical paramilitary groups’ of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Syria, as reported by the state news agency TASS. The remarks come after Syrian sources and Russian social media channels reported a bloody attack on one of two military bases maintained by Moscow in Syria.
Lavrov stated that these radical paramilitary groups are conducting ‘real ethnic cleansing, mass murders based on ethnicity and religion.’ However, it remains unclear which specific groups he referred to during his speech at an event celebrating the last day of Orthodox Easter.
An outbreak of religious violence occurred in March in the coastal northwest region of Syria, previously a stronghold of the Assad regime. Russia, which maintains two military bases in Syria, was a key supporter of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, who is now residing in Russia under asylum.
Despite this, Russia has attempted to maintain relations with the new Syrian government, which may still allow Moscow to use its facilities. Two Syrian sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the Khmeimim airbase was attacked today. A pro-Russian Telegram channel, Military Informer, posted a video allegedly showing exchanges of fire between Russian troops and Syrian militants at the base, though Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the footage.
The motive behind the attack on the Russian airbase, which has sheltered Alawite refugees since the March attacks, remains unclear. A Syrian security official stated that investigations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Syria could be weeks away from a ‘large-scale civil war,’ just days after the American government leadership met with transitional Syrian authorities. ‘We truly believe that, given the challenges faced, the transitional authority is only weeks, if not months, away from potential collapse and large-scale civil war, meaning the country’s dissolution,’ Rubio said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.