Russia's exit: Syrian upheaval prompts naval retreat
The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, the Russian-backed dictator of Syria, has resulted in Russia needing to evacuate its military contingent from the country. To achieve this, alongside airlifting its most valuable equipment, Russia has dispatched ships to Syria to remove the remaining assets.
Russian ships Sparta I and Sparta II, after a lengthy delay, finally obtained permission from the new Syrian authorities to access the port of Tartus. According to satellite images from December 2024, about 175 military vehicles were gathered there for evacuation.
Russia's challenges in securing port entry are notable, especially given that in 2019, Russia signed an agreement with Syria's former leadership to lease the port of Tartus for 49 years.
This agreement is now void because the Syrian authorities have terminated Russia's lease of the port. As a result, Russia is losing its only naval base in the Mediterranean Sea, which had allowed it to maintain a constant fleet in the area.
Russia is losing a base in the Middle East
The extent of Russia's challenge in sending ships on extended voyages is evident since only Sparta II reached the port without issues. The ship Sparta I broke down during the journey and was drifting off the coast of Spain, but the issue was resolved.
The Russians also sent, among others, the landing ship Alexander Otrakovsky, which is reporting a fuel leak problem. Another Russian ship, not part of the evacuation – Ursa Major, carrying parts for the new Russian icebreaker – sank in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion.
The most valuable equipment, such as the S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft systems, was extracted from Syria earlier. It was relocated to Libya, which agreed to host Russian equipment and soldiers by offering them the Al-Khadim base.
