You are grossly mischaracterising the Russian-Syrian relationship. Firstly , Russia is not occupying the Golan Heights, That area was illegally annexed by Israel following the 1967 Six Day War, and Israel has weaponised and hardened that piece of land ever since.

Secondly, Syria and Russia have had an official alliance treaty in place since the days of the USSR. The crown jewel of thsi relationship is the Russian naval base at Tartus, which Russia has been leasing from Syria since 1971. The Syrians and Russians signed an extension of the lease deal for the port in 2017, under which Russia can expand and increase the size and operational scope of the naval base, which is its only naval facility on the Mediterranean.

Latakia, by contrast, is not a port, but is rather the place that hosts the Russian operated Khmeimim air base. It was this base that was recently attacked by the Israelis.

Suffice it to say that the Russia-Syria alliance is important to both sides. It is doubtful that Syria could have defeated the US-backed ISIS and Al Qaeda forces fighting to overthrow the (secular) Assad regime without the help of the Russians,

THIS IS WHERE THE RUSSIAN-HEZBOLLAH TIE COMES IN.

Russia and Hezbollah were allies during the Syrian dirty wars, and they fought together to defeat the US-backed (Sunni) jihadists hell bent on setting up a Caliphate in Damascus.

Together, they were victorious.

So I can understand the close relationship, and probably real camaraderie, between the Russian Armed Forces and their erstwhile allies and comrades-in-arms in Hezbollah.