Russian Warships Leave Syrian Naval Base After Assad’s Government Toppled By Rebels

Russian Warships are missing from their Syrian naval base after rebels ousted the regime of President Bashar Assad.

In images taken by Planet Labs PBC at the beginning of this month, Russian vessels can be seen at the naval base in Tartus, a port city on the Mediterranean Sea. However, in the latest pictures taken on Monday, the ships cannot be spotted.

Syria’s political situation has raised questions about the future of Russian military presence in the country. Russia supported Assad’s regime which saw millions killed and displaced and a ruthless civil war that ended this weekend after rebels toppled his government in an offensive.

Images taken throughout the month suggest that Russian vessels left the port and then returned, possibly moving their assets from the port as the government crumbled.

An intelligent analyst stated that 5 Russian Surface Vessels including 3 frigates and 2 replenishment oilers and a lone submarine left the facility on Monday and did not return the next day.

Though Russia has not commented, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Agency has said that Moscow has withdrawn its ships from Tartus and is airlifting weapons from the nearby Khmeimim base.

Tartus is the main naval base of Russia overseas since it allows Moscow access to a warm-water port and the Khmeimim is used to deploy military forces in and out of Africa. Losing both these bases is a major blow for Russia.

The Russian Government is ensuring the security of its military facilities in the region however Syrian rebels now control the province where its bases are located, per media reports.

A senior official in the Biden Administration answered ‘can’t speculate’ when asked about the fate of Russian naval presence in Syria. The Russians have taken Assad to Moscow and it remains to be seen how those who worked for decades to overthrow his regime, see Russian bases in their country, he added.

Rebels led by the organisation Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a surprise attack in northwestern Syria in November and took control over many cities before finally capturing Damascus on Sunday, which ended the civil war ongoing for over 13 years.

Assad depended on Russian military support and also Iran and Hezbollah to maintain his power while the White House has said that his government was toppled since these three actors were busy in their conflicts with Ukraine and Israel.

Biden Official said that Assad lost since his friends, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah could no longer help him as they were busy handling their conflicts.

References: USNI, Reuters, Business Insider

Source: Maritime Shipping News