Russian ships return to Tartus Syrian base ahead of planned withdrawal

Two Russian ships linked to its military have docked at the Kremlin’s naval base on the Syrian coast in Tartous, and experts suggest that an early evacuation of the facilities has finally begun.

The Sparta and Sparta II docked in Tartous on Tuesday. Both ships are sanctioned by the United States and have been linked to the transport of Russian weapons by Ukraine.

Analysts anticipated that Russia would reduce its military footprint in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime in December, which it supported throughout the civil war.

In recent weeks, large quantities of military equipment have been moved to the port and have been visible in satellite photographs analyzed by BBC Verify.

The images appear to show dozens of vehicles and other equipment parked at the port. the hardware first appeared in mid-December Following images of large columns of Russian vehicles advancing north towards the base, indicating that they had been redirected from other outposts across the country.

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

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

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

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

Maritime tracking sites show that the ships finally docked on Tuesday afternoon, after which they turned off their transponders.

The weather in recent days has made it difficult to obtain clear satellite images. But images from the EU’s Sentinel radar satellites, which are low resolution but capable of penetrating cloud cover, revealed that the ships were in the military section of the port.

Until now, No Russian military ship had been sighted in Tartous. since the fall of the Assad regime in early December. In earlier high-resolution satellite images, dozens of military vehicles could be seen parked near where the ships are now docked. Also nearby were cranes that can be used to load equipment.

Two other Russian warships may also be present in the port, naval analyst Frederik Van Lokeren told BBC Verify. He said the ships Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky could also be involved in an evacuation, a sentiment echoed by Ukrainian military intelligence to BBC Verify.

“With the cancellation of the 49-year lease, it has become very clear to Russia that it can no longer hope to maintain a military presence in Tartous and as such there appears to be no point in remaining there and further delaying the maritime evacuation.” added Mr Van Lokeren.

However, the evacuation of all Russian equipment may take some time, according to Anton Mardasov of the Middle East Institute’s Syria program.

“Over the years, much more has been brought there than these ships and vessels can carry,” Mardasov told BBC Verify.

Meanwhile, activity has also continued at the main Russian air base in Syria, Hmeimim. Satellite images have shown large Russian planes loaded with military equipment on various dates since the fall of the Assad regime.

Ukrainian military intelligence said Russian flights had transferred military personnel and equipment from Hmeimim to air bases in Libya at least 10 times since mid-December. The Kremlin already supports the Tobruk leader Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya.

Moscow has long maintained a presence in two of the bases mentioned by Ukrainian intelligence: Al-Khadim and Al-Jufra. A former member of the UN task force on mercenaries, Dr Sorcha MacLeod, told BBC Verify that the facility was previously run by the Wagner Group.

He said Russia’s Defense Ministry has assumed responsibility for the bases through its new African Corps. The force is directed directly by Moscow and has took over much of the Wagner Group’s former role.

Dr Macleod added that the relocation of Russian forces to the country “makes sense given that Libya has become a major hub for African Corps operations and access to West Africa”.

Additional reporting by Ned Davies and Joshua Cheetham. Graphics by Mesut Ersoz.