Russian Navy Begins to Flee Syria

Warships are being urgently evacuated from the base in Tartus.

Russia has begun withdrawing ships from the naval base in Tartus, Syria, following the rapid advance of Islamist rebels across Syria, which dictator Bashar al-Assad’s army has been unable to contain, Naval News reports.

According to the publication, on the morning of December 2, the tanker Yelnya, which is important for maintaining Russian forces in the Mediterranean, left Tartus. Other ships could have left the base with it. In total, the Russian naval group in Syria consists of five ships and one submarine. These include two Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates, one Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, an improved Kilo-class submarine and two auxiliary vessels.

“There is a real possibility that the withdrawal is related to the deteriorating situation in Syria,” writes naval analyst Droxford Maritime. After the withdrawal of Russian ships, the naval base in Tartus may be abandoned, and Russia will most likely send the ships to the Baltic Sea, Naval News believes. Along the way, they may stop in Algeria or Libya.

At the same time, if Russia decides to keep the base in Tartus, it will have to send large reinforcements there, but it will take weeks to transfer them, Naval News emphasizes.

The naval base in Tartus on the Mediterranean coast of Syria is a strategic facility for Russia. The Soviet Navy was based there since 1971, but after the collapse of the country, the ships were withdrawn. Russian troops returned to Tartus in 2012, when Moscow decided to intervene in the civil war in Syria and sided with dictator Bashar al-Assad. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia strengthened its military presence in Tartus to counter NATO aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean.

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