RTVI Releases Field Report from Syria on Conditions After Assad

RTVI has released "Syria After Assad," a special field report by correspondent Katya Kazanchuk.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- RTVI has released "Syria After Assad," a special field report by correspondent Katya Kazanchuk. Produced following the lifting of Western sanctions and the formation of a new transitional government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the report examines current conditions in Syria, including economic developments, accounts of sectarian violence, and the status of Kurdish-held areas following the U.S. military withdrawal.

Economic Conditions
Interviewees described continuing economic difficulties despite Syria's gradual reintegration into the global economy. A Damascus café owner told RTVI that the average monthly salary is around $150–$200, while a basic standard of living requires at least $400–$600. "A lot of enterprises and factories have shut down. They were oriented toward local production, and now the market is flooded with imported goods," he said. In May 2026, Syrian authorities conducted the country's first cashless payment in 15 years; residents continue to use cash in most transactions, and bank cards remain rarely accepted, according to RTVI's reporting.

Reports of Violence Along the Coast
The report addresses events of March 2025, when loyalists of the former regime attacked new security force posts in Latakia, killing 16 soldiers. In the days that followed, RTVI's reporting cites approximately 1,500 people killed along the Syrian coast. Human Rights Watch's World Report 2026 documents at least 1,400 people killed in Alawi-majority areas of Tartous, Latakia, and Hama governorates. The UN Commission of Inquiry for Syria has stated that the attacks may have amounted to war crimes.
According to a Syrian immigrant interviewed by RTVI, units of the new Syrian army and affiliated armed formations arrived on the coast citing an operation against former regime loyalists. The interviewee described subsequent killings on religious grounds and extrajudicial executions. Some of those targeted sought shelter on Russian military bases, according to the report.

Christian Communities in Maaloula and Saydnaya
In Maaloula — one of the last places where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is spoken — residents told RTVI that approximately 250 Christian families remain, down from 800. Residents said tensions escalated in December 2024, when a local clash drew more than 2,000 armed men to the town. "The fear is tangible, because extremist ideology is beginning to grow," one resident told RTVI.

Background on President Ahmed al-Sharaa
The report also covers the background of Syria's transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. The U.S. State Department previously offered a $10 million bounty for information on him. Al-Sharaa founded Jabhat al-Nusra, designated by the U.S. as al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, which later rebranded as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. HTS entered Damascus in late 2024. Al-Sharaa has since held meetings with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
An expert interviewed for the report said al-Sharaa has been nicknamed "the Chameleon," adding that "it's very difficult to draw a line between radical and non-radical Islamists."

Kurdish-Held Areas After U.S. Withdrawal
In early 2026, the U.S. announced its troop withdrawal from Syria, ending more than a decade of cooperation with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. An expert told RTVI that following the withdrawal, Kurdish autonomy ended within days as Kurdish forces reached an agreement with Damascus.
The full report by Katya Kazanchuk is available on RTVI's YouTube channel RTVI News.

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"Syria After Assad" — RTVI's special on-the-ground report from correspondent Katya Kazanchuk

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