Russian Cargo Ships and Warships Clear Out of Syria
The Russian military cargo ships Sparta and Sparta II have both departed the naval base at Tartus, Syria, along with a large volume of cargo that had been staged on the piers. The accumulation of Russian cargo at the base in December; the sealift ships' long and expensive ballast voyage to Syria; the ships' appearance alongside the military pier; and the simultaneous disappearance of the vessels and the cargo all appear to confirm an evacuation of military equipment.
Russia's navy has occupied the northernmost pier in the port of Tartus since the 1970s, when the Soviet Union brokered a lease with dictator Hafez al-Assad. The lease may soon change: In December, U.S.-designated terrorist group Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) overthrew Hafez's son, the Russian-backed ruler Bashar al-Assad, after 13 years of civil war. Russia's troops retreated to the coast, and dozens of military vehicles accumulated at Tartus - reportedly including valuable air defense systems.
After weeks at anchor, Sparta and Sparta II entered the port last week, their arrivals accompanied by cargo movements that were visible by satellite. A large volume of containers appeared on the quayside, and these were all gone - along with the ships - as of Wednesday.
A comparison of @Planet satellite images taken today, January 29, and on January 27 confirms that the Sparta cargo ship has also left the port of Tartus, following Sparta II and taking yet another load of Russian military equipment and cargo out of Syria. pic.twitter.com/g9yY3SmufB
— Mark Krutov (@kromark) January 29, 2025
Open-source intelligence analyst MT Anderson observed that the vessels of the Russian Navy's Mediterranean Flotilla are also gone, possibly accompanying Sparta and Sparta II in convoy. The flotilla has been loitering off Tartus since early December, when it sortied as HTS advanced on Damascus.
The apparent departure of the Russian naval presence comes as Russia steps up diplomatic engagement with Syria's new rulers. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and special envoy Aleksandr Lavrentiev arrived in Damascus this week for talks with HTS' leadership, seeking an accord to continue Russian basing arrangements in the country.
????????Med Sea Flotilla????????
— MT Anderson (@MT_Anderson) January 29, 2025
Sentinel 2????, 29 January 2025, confirm the departure of Sparta and Sparta II
Just as important, there are no Med Sea Fleet vessels within ~125km radius of Tartus. They are likely escorting the Sparta's but will they return for a second round of evacuation? pic.twitter.com/OWsVZQ85PR
HTS has terminated the Russian lease on the commercial seaport at Tartus, but its leaders have expressed a more friendly approach to relations than might be expected, given the years of Russian airstrikes on rebel fighters. "We don’t want Russia to exit Syria in a way that undermines its relationship with our country," said HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa last month. He pointed to Syria's ongoing dependence on Russian technology, including maintenance of the war-torn country's surviving power grid and military equipment - much of it supplied by Russia in the days of the Assad family's rule.