Tartous, Syria. Photo: wiki commons.

The Hill – Russia has withdrawn all its military personnel from Syria amid escalating violence, Russian media report, avoiding any chance of Russian troops being killed by U.S.-supplied weapons.

A Defense ministry source told the business daily Vedomosti that the decision was made in part to avoid the political fallout if any Russians were to be killed by either side in the conflict. Russia has also reportedly left unstaffed its naval base at Tartus, its fleet’s only facility outside the former Soviet Union.