Russian ships return to Syrian Tartous base ahead of expected withdrawal

Two Russian ships attached to its military have docked at the Kremlin’s military base on the Syrian coast of Tartous, experts say, as the expected withdrawal from the site has begun.

The Sparta and Sparta II stopped at Tartous on Tuesday. Both ships are sanctioned by the US and have been linked to Ukraine for transporting Russian weapons.

Analysts expect Russia to scale back its military moves from Syria following the fall of the Assad regime in December – which helped fuel the civil war.

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

The pictures show a lot of vehicles and other equipment at the port. Electronic devices first appeared in mid-December following large-scale drawings of Russian trucks heading north to the lower reaches – suggesting they have been sent from other parts of the country.

The arrival of the ships coincides with reports in the Syrian media that the Russian port lease has been terminated. The new transitional government in Damascus has 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.

Tartous has become an important base for Russia in recent years, allowing it to refuel, refuel and repair ships in the Mediterranean.

The Kremlin appears keen to rein in the base, and said in December that Russian officials were talking to new officials about its continued presence.

Investigators say the Sparta and Sparta II – ultimately owned by Oboronlogistika LLC – a logistics company operating as part of the Russian Defense Ministry, were denied permission to go to Tartous while negotiations continued. The ships have been several weeks off the coast of Syria in the Mediterranean Sea.

Marine tracking sites show the ships stopped on Tuesday evening, then turned off their transponders.

Today’s weather has made it difficult to get clear satellite images. But images from the EU’s Sentinel radar satellites – which are very low but can penetrate clouds – show that the ships were in the military zone of the port.

Until now, no Russian warships were seen at Tartous since the fall of the Assad regime in early December. In the past, many military vehicles were seen parked near the ships. Also nearby were cranes that could place equipment.

It is possible that two more Russian warships are also in port, naval expert Frederik Van Lokeren told BBC Verify. He also said that the ships, Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, could also take part in the migration – an idea that was reported by Ukrainian intelligence to BBC Verify.

“With the cancellation of 49 years it has become clear to Russia that it can no longer expect to have troops in Tartous and therefore, there seems to be no reason to stay there and further delay the sea migration,” he said. Mr Van Lokeren added.

The transfer of all Russian weapons may take some time, according to Anton Mardasov of the Middle East Institute’s Syria program.

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

Meanwhile, there has also been ongoing work on Russia’s main air base in Syria, Hmeimim. Satellite images have shown large Russian planes loaded with weapons on various days since the fall of the Assad regime.

Ukrainian military intelligence says Russian planes have moved troops and weapons from Hmeimim to airbases in Libya at least 10 times since mid-December. The Kremlin is already supporting the military from Tobruk Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya.

Moscow has been present at two sites mentioned by Ukrainian intelligence – Al-Khadim and Al-Jufra. Former member of the UN’s task force on mercenaries, Dr Sorcha MacLeod, told BBC Verify that the site was run by the Wagner Group.

He added that the Russian Ministry of Defense has taken over the responsibility of overseeing these organizations through the new Africa Corps. This power is controlled directly by Moscow and has it took over the majority of the Wagner Group.

Dr Macleod added that the transfer of Russian troops to the country “makes sense because Libya has become the center of Africa Corps operations and access to West Africa”.

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