Ex-Assad figures in Moscow bankroll militias aiming to spark coastal uprisings

Overview

Former loyalists of deposed leader Bashar al-Assad, operating from exile in Moscow, are funding tens of thousands of potential fighters in an effort to provoke unrest against Syria’s new government, according to an investigation. Two prominent figures — Major-General Kamal Hassan, the regime’s former military intelligence chief, and billionaire Rami Makhlouf — are reportedly competing to recruit militias among the Alawite community, backing more than 50,000 fighters and spending millions on salaries and equipment. Reuters reviewed financial records, messages and photos of underground command rooms and arms caches that suggest these networks aim to seize influence in Syria’s coastal regions, long an Assad stronghold.

Risks and response

Despite significant claims of manpower and cash, commanders and local officials say fighters are poorly paid, loyalties are split, and the plotters are mistrusted and at odds with one another. Russia has so far withheld support, and Syria’s new administration under President Ahmed al-Sharaa is actively countering the effort — deploying Alawite envoys and security measures in coastal provinces. Syrian authorities and local governors say they are monitoring and prepared to disrupt the schemes as the country navigates ongoing Israeli strikes, sectarian tensions and growing international engagement with the new government, including a recent UN Security Council visit. as reported by Al Jazeera