Page The Kyiv Independent Data guide on January 22 from boat tracking page Marinetraffic Said Russia’s Sparta 2 transport ship arrived in Tartus port in Syria after weeks in the Mediterranean.
Satellite photo taken on December 17, 2024 at Tartus port in Syria
Sparta 2 leaves Baltiysk port in Russia’s Kaliningrad province on December 11, 2024 and appeared near Tartus since 5.1. The British media reported that Sparta 1 and Sparta 2 docked Tartus port on January 21. Both ships are embargoed by the United States.
The presence of these two transport vessels is thought to relocate the Russian army’s equipment leaving Syria. After the government of the former President Bashar al-Assad of the Russian ally collapsed at the end of last year, the future of Moscow’s military bases in Syria, including the Tartus port and Hmeimim airport, was questioned.
Satellite photos show that Russian military equipment is concentrated at Tartus port
A large amount of military equipment has been transferred from other regions in Syria to Tartus in recent weeks, thought to be prepared to be taken away. However, because the transport ships have not been allowed to dock, the number of equipment is still stuck. On January 21, Insider reported that the Syrian government allowed the ship to dock.
Syrian media recently reported that the new government in Damascus has decided to terminate the agreement for Russia to hire Tartus port. Russia signed an agreement with Syria in 2019 to hire ports for 49 years. Moscow is committed to investing at least half a billion dollars to modernize this port.
Russia and Syria both declined to comment on the information of the agreement.
