Russian ships return to Syrian base before expected withdrawal

Two Russian ships attached to its forces have docked at the Kremlin’s naval base on the Syrian coast in Tartus, with experts suggesting the anticipated evacuation of the facility has finally begun.

Sparta and Sparta II arrived in Tartus on Tuesday. Both ships are sanctioned by the US and linked to the transportation of Russian weapons by Ukraine.

Analysts had expected Russia to reduce its military presence in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime in December – which it had supported throughout the civil war.

Large quantities of military hardware have been moved to the port in recent weeks and have been seen in satellite images analyzed by BBC Verify.

Photos show dozens of vehicles and other equipment sitting at the port. hardware First appeared in mid-December Footage of large columns of Russian vehicles moving north towards the base – indicating they were redirected from other checkpoints across the country.

The arrival of the ships coincides with reports in Syrian media that Russia’s lease for the port has been cancelled. The new transitional government in Damascus declined to confirm the reports to the BBC, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also declined to comment when asked during a news conference in Moscow.

Tartus has been a major base for Russia in recent years, allowing it to refuel, resupply and repair ships in the Mediterranean.

The Kremlin has appeared keen to retain control of the base, and said in December that Russian officials were talking to new authorities about a continued presence.

Analysts have suggested that Sparta and Sparta II – which are ultimately owned by Oboronlogistika LLC – a shipping company that operates as part of the Russian Defense Ministry, were refused permission to dock in Tartus while The discussion was continuing. The ships have spent several weeks in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Syria.

Maritime tracking sites show the ships finally arrived at the dock on Tuesday evening, after which they turned off their transponders.

In recent times it has been difficult to obtain clear satellite images due to weather. But images from the EU’s Sentinel radar satellites – which are low resolution but capable of penetrating clouds – revealed that the ships were in the military section of the port.

So far, No Russian military ships were seen in Tartus Since the fall of the Assad regime in early December. Earlier high-resolution satellite imagery showed dozens of military vehicles parked near where the ships are now docked. There were also cranes nearby that could be used to load equipment.

Naval analyst Frederik Van Lokeren told BBC Verify that it was possible that two other Russian naval ships were also present in the port. He said the ships, Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, may also have been involved in the evacuation – a sentiment echoed by Ukrainian military intelligence to BBC Verify.

“The termination of the 49-year lease makes it very clear to Russia that it can no longer expect to maintain a military presence in Tartus and, as such, there is no point in remaining there and delaying the maritime evacuation any longer.” Is.” Mr Van Lokeren added.

However, it may take some time to remove all of Russia’s equipment, according to Anton Mardasov of the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program.

“Over the past few years, these ships and ships have brought in much more than they can carry,” Mr Mardasov told BBC Verify.

Meanwhile, activities are also continuing at Hmeimim, the main Russian airbase in Syria. Satellite images show large Russian planes loaded with military equipment at various dates since the fall of the Assad regime.

Ukrainian military intelligence said Russian flights have transferred military personnel and equipment from Hmeimim to the Libyan airbase at least 10 times since mid-December. The Kremlin is already supporting the Tobruk-based warlord Khalifa Haftar in the east of Libya,

Moscow has long maintained a presence at two bases mentioned by Ukrainian intelligence – al-Khadim and al-Jufra. Dr Sorcha MacLeod, a former member of the UN working group on mercenaries, told BBC Verify that the facilities were previously run by the Wagner Group.

He said Russia’s Defense Ministry has assumed responsibility for the bases through its new Africa Corps. This force is directly run by Moscow and is took over most of the former role of the Wagner Group,

Dr MacLeod said the transfer of Russian forces to the country “makes sense given that Libya has become such a major hub for Africa Corps operations and access to West Africa”.

Additional reporting by Ned Davis and Joshua Cheatham. Graphics by Mesut Ersoz.