The Syrian President Bashar Assad inspected on Tuesday Hmeimim military base in Lattakia where the Russian troops are centered.

At the Hmeimim base south of the coastal city of Latakia, Assad met Russian military officials and inspected equipment, according to photographs posted on the presidency’s Twitter account.

In one video posted on the account, a smiling Assad, dressed in a suit and tie, is seen climbing a ladder and taking a seat inside the cockpit of a Sukhoi fighter jet.

Moscow and Damascus signed an agreement in 2015 allowing Russia to establish the airbase as a launchpad for operations in support of the Syrian army.

President Assad on Monday visited the central city of Hama, meeting veterans and their families.

Source: Websites