Cargo ships drifting near the Russian military base in Tartus, Syria, have begun removing military equipment from the area, as revealed by satellite images. A Russian Navy combat boat is overseeing the loading operations.
BBC Verify reported last Friday that Russian cargo ships Sparta and Sparta II, owned by the sanctioned shipping company Oboronlogistika, had arrived at Tartus port, citing satellite imagery. On January 27, Mark Krutov, an investigator for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, published new images. According to vessel tracking services, the ships docked on Tuesday evening.
The images show that numerous pieces of military equipment were delivered to the port in recent weeks. Specifically, dozens of vehicles and a large amount of equipment can be seen in the photos. BBC writes that Russian forces began gathering equipment near Tartus in mid-December, following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Satellite images captured Russian military convoys moving toward the base from other parts of Syria.
A week ago, Riyad Joudi, the director of Tartus Customs, announced that Syria's new authorities had terminated a 2019 agreement with Stroytransgaz for a 49-year investment in Tartus port. The company had committed to investing over $500 million in modernizing the harbor over the next four years. Syria will now handle the port's reconstruction on its own. After this, the port allowed the mentioned Russian cargo ships to dock, although they had previously been drifting off Syria's coast under the escort of military vessels. Satellite images indicate that a significant portion of the containers and military equipment disappeared from the docks after Sparta II left the port, while loading operations on Sparta continue.
According to Norwegian naval analyst Tør Are Iversen, the evacuation process is also being guarded by a Russian Navy anti-sabotage boat of the Grachonok class.
Most of the Russian army's equipment and assets are being evacuated by air, as reported by the Russian military aviation channel Fighterbomber. Ships are used only to transport items that are too large or costly to load onto planes. BBC also noted that activity continues at the Russian airbase in Hmeimim, Syria. Satellite images show that since Assad's departure from Syria, large Russian aircraft have been regularly loaded with military equipment.
