FILE - Syrian fighters guard the entrance of the Lakatia civilian airport located in the town of Hmeimim, southeast of Latakia, Syria, Monday Dec. 16, 2024.(AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

FILE - Syrian fighters watch Russian armoured vehicles driving past near the Hmeimim Air Base, a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, in the town of Hmeimim, southeast of Latakia, Syria, Monday Dec. 16, 2024.(AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)