Russian ships return to Syria’s Tartus base ahead of expected withdrawal

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

Sparta and Sparta II docked at Tartus on Tuesday. Both ships have been sanctioned by the US and are linked to the transport of Russian arms from Ukraine.

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

Large amounts of military equipment have been moved into the port in recent weeks and were seen in satellite images analyzed by BBC Verify.

The images appear to show dozens of vehicles and other equipment sitting at the port. The hardware first appeared in mid-December following footage of large convoys of Russian vehicles moving north towards the base – indicating they had been diverted from other outposts across the country.

The ships’ arrival coincides with Syrian media reports that Russia’s lease on 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 at a press conference in Moscow.

Tartus has been a key base for Russia in recent years, allowing it to refuel, supply and repair vessels in the Mediterranean.

The Kremlin appears keen to retain control of the base and said in December that Russian officials were in talks with the new authorities about continuing the presence.

Analysts suggest that Sparta and Sparta II – which are ultimately owned by Oboronlogistika LLC – a shipping company that operates as part of the Russian Defense Ministry – have been denied permission to dock at Tartous while discussions continue. The ships spent several weeks off the coast of Syria in the Mediterranean.

Marine tracking sites show the ships finally docked on Tuesday evening, after which they switched off their transponders.

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

so far, no Russian warships were seen in Tartus after 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 could be used to load equipment.

Two other Russian naval vessels 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 the evacuation, a view echoed by Ukrainian military intelligence to BBC Verify.

“With the cancellation of the 49-year lease, it has become abundantly clear to Russia that it can no longer hope to maintain a military presence in Tartus and as such there seems no point in remaining there and delaying evacuation by sea any longer,” added Mr. n Van Lokeren.

However, the evacuation of all Russian equipment could 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 take,” Mr Mardasov told BBC Verify.

Meanwhile, activity continues at the main Russian airbase in Syria, Khmeimim. Satellite images show large Russian planes loaded with military equipment at various dates after the fall of the Assad regime.

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

Moscow has long maintained a presence at two of the bases mentioned by Ukrainian intelligence – Al-Khadim and Al-Jufra. A former member of the UN’s mercenary taskforce, Dr Sorcha McLeod, told BBC Verify that the facilities were previously run by the Wagner Group.

She said the Russian Defense Ministry had taken over responsibility for the bases through its new Africa Corps. The forces are directly controlled by Moscow and have took over much of the former Wagner Group role.

Dr McLeod added that moving Russian forces into the country “makes sense given that Libya has become such a large hub for Africa Corps operations and access to West Africa”.

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