At the invitation of the Commander of the Group of Troops (forces) On July 1, 2026, Archimandrite Philip (Vasiltsev), representative of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia to the Patriarchal See of Antioch, visited the Russian airbase in Khmeimim.
A water prayer service was held in the church in honor of the prophet of God Elijah, which was led by Archimandrite Philip and co-served by Priest Sergius Vokhmanin, a cleric of the Kazan Metropolia and an employee of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies.
A.V. Darbinyan, First Deputy Commander Admiral I.V. Osipov, Defense Attache at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Syrian Arab Republic, Major General A.V. Bodredinov, and parishioners from the Russian contingent of the airbase prayed at the service.
After the dismissal of the Holy Water prayer service, Archimandrite Philip preached a sermon on the theme of the feast and proclaimed many years to those present.
On the same day, Archimandrite Philip met with Lieutenant General A.V. Darbinyan. On behalf of the Representative Office of the Russian Orthodox Church in Damascus, Father Philip congratulated the commander on his appointment to a responsible post and presented memorable gifts. Admiral I.V. Osipov and Major General A.V. Bodredinov took part in the meeting.