Russian ships stranded off Syrian coast amid new regime shift
Russian ships moored off the coast of Syria have begun to leak, which has been confirmed by Ukrainian intelligence. The issue stems from the lack of permission to enter the port of Tartus, preventing the crew from carrying out necessary repairs. The new Syrian authorities are not allowing the transport vessels to dock.
Russian vessels, including the bulk carrier Sparta and two large landing ships, Ivan Gren and Aleksandr Orekovski, are facing technical problems off the coast of Syria.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, fuel is leaking from the ships, and the crew cannot board due to the denied entry to the port of Tartus.
On January 9, 2025, at 3:00 pm Eastern Time, Russian Rear Admiral Valery Varfolomeyev tried negotiating with the Syrians but was not permitted to enter discussions.
Russia is continuing the transfer of weapons and military equipment from Syria to Libya via air.
Change of power in Syria
The new authorities in Syria refused to permit the entry of a ship that was designated to evacuate Russian military equipment from the Russian naval base in Tartus.
The refusal comes after the overthrow in December of the Russia-backed dictator, Bashar al-Assad, by rebel forces.
Sparta II, a Russian transport ship under US sanctions, has been drifting near Tartus since January 5 after departing from Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region on December 11.
