Russia names Dmitry Dogadkin new ambassador to Syria amid thaw: What to know

Russia appointed a new ambassador to Syria on Monday amid a reset in ties between the two countries under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

What happened: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree on Monday, appointing veteran diplomat Dmitry Dogadkin as Moscow’s new ambassador to Damascus, replacing Alexander Yefimov who had been in the position since October 2018.

Dogadkin had served as Russia’s ambassador to Qatar from 2021 until July 2026. Before that, he held the ambassador position in Oman from 2017 to 2021.

The diplomat joined the Russian diplomatic service in 1990. He served as minister counselor at the Russian Embassy in Syria from 2009 to 2013 during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, before being appointed head of desk of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Directorate from 2013 to 2017.