The Russian ambassador in Damascus, Alexander Yefimov, stated that a complete reconstruction in Syria is currently impossible, emphasizing that the war in Syria has not yet ended.
In an interview broadcast by Russia Today on Wednesday, July 17th, the Russian official added that many believe the war has ended and “is behind us, but it is still ongoing daily as our soldiers, in cooperation with the Syrian army, conduct daily operations to track down terrorists, destroy their positions, and so on,” along with the presence of foreign military forces, including countries that were not invited to Syria.
According to Yefimov, Russian companies continued working during the years of war and are still working now in Syria, including companies operating in the government-controlled areas (in reference to the regime government) in sectors such as oil and gas, fertilizer production, port infrastructure, and phosphate extraction.
Yefimov also mentioned the completion of two projects in Syria this year. The first is a mill with a production capacity of up to 600,000 tons per day, and the second is a massive and significant project to supply water to Latakia, to maintain the continuity of water availability in the city amidst the current shortage.
He also blamed American and European sanctions on the Syrian regime for what he considered to be an obstruction of the economic and investment process, which also affects Russian companies, according to his statement.
Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad considered Russia’s intervention alongside his regime in military operations in Syria to be a protection for Moscow.
At the end of February, al-Assad said that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his military aircraft to Syria “to protect Russia and its people.”
During a televised interview with Putin on December 14th, 2023, he stated that Russian military forces are present to ensure Russia’s interests in this vital area of the world, which is very close to us, referring to Syria.
He indicated that his country does not plan yet to withdraw these military units from Syria, as reported by the Russian news agency “TASS.”
Russian intervention in Syria marked a turning point in the course of field events, as the Syrian regime was able to regain extensive geographical areas since the first strike carried out by the Russian Air Force in Syria on September 30, 2015, through Russian-Turkish agreements and others where Russia played a pivotal role with Jordan, Israel, and even the United States.