Russia military humiliates Syria Defence Minister in ceremony at Tartous

Syria’s Defence Minister was seemingly insulted by the Russian military last week, which prevented him from accompanying the Commander of Russian forces in Syria at a ceremony.

On Sunday, the Syrian Defence Minister, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, and the Commander of Russian forces in Syria, Alexander Cheko, participated in a ceremony commemorating the Russian Navy Day at the Syrian port of Tartous.

In a video clip published by the Russian newspaper Izvestia, Abbas was seen to be prevented by a Russian soldier from following Cheko on to the main deck of a vessel, where a parade was being held. Ali Abbas was then left to stand amongst soldiers in the background.

https://twitter.com/FARED_ALHOR/status/1554215071080976384

The incident is not the first time an official of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime has been humiliated by its Russian ally and patron, with even President Assad himself having famously been prevented by a Russian officer from walking with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2017, following Putin’s arrival at the Hmeimim airbase in the Syrian province of Lattakia.

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