Russian boots have been in Syria on and off since the 1970s in Tartus. They’ve been expanding and improving that facility since 2006.
Well, Tartus is probably the most secular city in Syria considering radical Islam. There are many Christians, too.
Syrian city of Tartus, a supplier of ‘martyrs’ for Assad
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U0tV7EAy5_A