Moscow's only military installations outside the former Soviet Union will shift from operational bases to training facilities under a new memorandum of understanding. Syria and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding to transform Moscow’s two military bases on Syria’s Mediterranean coast into joint training and capacity-building centers. What the deal actually changesUnder the MoU, both bases will be converted from active military operations hubs into joint training centers within a three-month window. The strategic backdropRussia established the Hmeimim airbase in 2015, when it intervened militarily to prop up Assad’s government during the Syrian civil war. Transitioning military infrastructure from active operations to training use involves more than swapping signs on the front gate.