Putin Appoints Dmitry Dogadkin as Russia's First Ambassador to Syria Since Assad's Fall

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on August 3, 2026 appointing Dmitry Dogadkin as Russia's new ambassador to Syria — Moscow's first ambassadorial appointment to Damascus since Assad's ouster in December 2024 — while recalling Alexander Yefimov, who also lost his post as Putin's special representative for Syria relations. Dogadkin, an Arabic speaker who served at the Russian embassy in Damascus from 2009–2013 and most recently as ambassador to Qatar (2021–2026), is seen as a Middle East veteran signaling a reset in Moscow's approach to the transitional government.