**Russian Officials Visit Damascus, Syria**
A group of Russian officials arrived in Damascus, Syria on January 28. This is the first visit by a Russian delegation since Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power in December.
**Assad’s Fall from Power**
Bashar al-Assad was forced to leave power after rebels launched a surprise attack against him. He had been ruling Syria for over a decade, and his departure marked the end of a long civil war.
**Russian Delegation Members**
The Russian delegation includes Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia‘s deputy foreign minister, and Alexander Lavrentyev, who is special envoy to Syria. The purpose of their visit was not specified by Russian state media.
**Meeting with New Syrian Leaders**
According to reports, the Russian delegation will meet with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the new leader of Syria, and the country‘s new foreign minister. This meeting could be important for determining Russia’s future role in the region.
**Russia’s Withdrawal from Syria**
After Assad’s departure, Russia began withdrawing its military and naval assets from Syria. The fate of Russian military bases in the country remains unclear.
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