By Samah Abdul Fattah | 2024-07-13

Residents of the "Euphrates Shield" operation area in northern Syria, controlled by opposition groups backed by Türkiye, recently protested the entry of a Russian delegation into the Aleppo province town of al-Bab, Syrian activists said.

Turkish forces in June attempted to bring in a delegation of Russian army officers to tour al-Bab and the area between al-Bab and Aleppo city, which includes Abu al-Zandeen crossing, said local media activist Tariq al-Ahmed.

Abu al-Zandeen links opposition-controlled areas with those controlled by the Syrian regime.

"This sparked a wave of anger that started on social media and quickly spread to the street, with civilians and opposition fighters taking part," he told Al-Fassel.

Protesters blocked the roads to prevent the Russian delegation from crossing to meet a Turkish military delegation that was present in the region.

"When the Turkish delegation withdrew from the area, opposition militants searched military vehicles to ensure there were no Russian officers in them," al-Ahmed said.

With the signs they raised, protesters sent a direct message to Turkish forces not to attempt to bring Russians into the region, and "leaders of armed groups in the region also informed the Turkish side of this directly," he said.

"The Russian presence is utterly unacceptable on account of the Russian crimes committed against civilians, in addition to the continued Russian support of the Syrian regime," al-Ahmed said.

Unwanted Russian presence

"Abu al-Zandeen was [re]opened after security measures were implemented to prohibit the entry of any Russian military personnel into the area," al-Bab-based opposition element Abu Ibrahim told Al-Fassel.

The security measures had restricted Russian monitoring to the regime-controlled side, "namely the area of the crossing and the M4 highway all the way to the city of Aleppo," he said.

While opposition forces received assurances from Türkiye in this regard, he said, "an atmosphere of unease prevails in the region, on both the popular and military levels."

Russian forces have used the dire economic situation in regime-controlled areas as a pretext for reopening Abu al-Zandeen, he said.

"But it is clear that if the Russians enter they would bring woes to the region, as they are doing in the areas where they are present, including sowing discord, inciting divisions and forming militias loyal to them to fight other militias."

Russia has also drawn the ire of Syrians in past years after withdrawing from various military bases in the country, allowing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Lebanese Hizbullah forces to take over.

Iran, a purported ally of Moscow, has taken advantage of Russia's ongoing difficulties in the Ukraine war in many respects, including by expanding its militant network across Syria.