Senior Russian officials arrived in Damascus on Tuesday for their first meetings with Syria's new leadership under Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), which led the overthrow of Moscow's main Middle East ally,

Russia has sent a delegation to Damascus following the ousting of its ally, President Bashar al-Assad. The delegation, aimed at engaging with Syria's new leadership, includes key Russian diplomats. Moscow aims to maintain its naval and air bases in Tartous and Latakia.

It is the first such delegation to visit Syria since the fall of former President Bashar Assad, an ally of Moscow, in December in a lightning rebel offensive. Assad took refuge in Russia after his ouster.