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Russia's Hopes for Syrian Naval Base Linger On

Sparta II
AIS location of Russian military cargo vessel Sparta II (light green overlay) next to the Russian pier in Tartus (MarineTraffic)

Published Jan 22, 2025 9:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

While the new government of Syria has terminated the Russian lease on the commercial seaport of Tartus, Moscow still holds out hope that it can keep a small sliver of the harbor that serves as a naval station, according to Russian outlets Izvestia and TASS.

Russia has had a "support point" at Tartus since 1971, the year that Syrian dictator Hafez al-Assad seized power and signed an accord with the Soviet government. Over the decades, the pier became the Russian Navy's sole base in the Mediterranean, an essential refueling and repair station for the Mediterranean Flotilla. With the overthrow of Hafez's son Bashar al-Assad in December, its future seems in doubt and Moscow is negotiating with former enemies - Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a banned organization in Russia - over the base's survival. 

Earlier this week, it appeared that negotiations were over when HTS canceled the Russian lease on the port of Tartus' commercial section, which covered the majority of the inner harbor. Assad granted a 49-year lease to Russian engineering company Stroytransgaz in 2019, in exchange for an investment pledge of $500 million. The contract allowed Stroytransgaz to keep 65 percent of the profits of operating the harbor - until HTS ended the agreement and announced a takeover.

Russia may no longer control the commercial harbor, but HTS clarified Wednesday that the naval base is still up for discussion. Syria's new defense minister, Marhaf Abu Qasra, said that talks with Moscow continue. 

"There are negotiations being conducted by the presidency through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and until now, the final form is not clear, and we have not received any directive from the presidency regarding dealing with the Russian government," he told Al-Araby. 

Izvestia and TASS both carried the announcement and said that talks were ongoing, with contingency planning under way.

"Syria is under pressure now, so there is a possibility that we will lose the base in Tartus," military commentator Viktor Litovkin told Izvestia.  "And our leadership, knowing about this possible development of events, I think is now looking for a replacement for these bases. But where they will be located is a big question. There is no firm confidence that we will be able to settle in Libya, Algeria,  Egypt [or Eritrea]."

As of Wednesday, two Russian military cargo ships were moored near the naval base section of the port, where Russian vehicles and equipment from the Syrian campaign has been stockpiled for possible evacuation. Cloudy weather prevented a clear view of the piers by satellite (below). During the day, a Russian attack helicopter circled near the base and over the commercial section of the port, according to local journalist Qusay Noor.