One month after the announcement that Russia’s bases in Syria would be “transferred” to Damascus, Russian military vessels have returned to the port of Tartus, exclusive images sourced by RFE/RL confirm.
A flotilla of three Russian logistics vessels escorted by a naval destroyer was first spotted steaming south off the coast of Spain in late August. The convoy’s stated destination was Egypt, but soon after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar the ships switched off their transponders to avoid being tracked.
Images obtained by RFE/RL made in early September confirm the flotilla recently docked in Syria’s port of Tartus to offload an unknown cargo. The previously unseen images appear to contradict official claims that the formerly Russian-controlled portion of the Tartus facility had been turned over to Syria for civilian use.
Ships visible in the Tartus images are the naval destroyer Admiral Levchenko, the Sparta, a military logistics vessel and the Akademik Pashin, a replenishment vessel designed for supplying other ships at sea. The fourth vessel of the flotilla, the oil tanker General Skobelev is not visible in the image.
The docking of Russian vessels backs up analyst assessments that cold geopolitical bargaining has enabled the Kremlin to hold onto its bases in Syria, even as official statements appear calibrated to suggest otherwise.
“Syria’s new leadership needed things only Russia could offer,” Ruslan Trad, a Syria analyst told RFE/RL. Among other factors, Syria’s weapons stocks are largely Russian, and Damascus “needs to refill the warehouses,” Trad says.
Photo Exclusive: Russia Returns To Syria Bases, Contradicting ‘Transfer’ Claims
Fonte: RFE RL/Amos Chapple, Mark Krutov
