After the fall of the Assad regime, Russia managed to retrieve its military equipment and weapons from the Syrian port of Tartus, as evidenced by recent satellite images. Once cluttered with hundreds of vehicles, the docks are now virtually empty.
This is highlighted by satellite images of this currently Russian naval base, published by "Radio Free Europe."
This occurred following the arrival of two Ro-Ro vessels, "Sparta," which remains in the port, and "Sparta II," which departed yesterday, January 27. Both ships belong to "Oboronlogistika," a company under the so-called Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
According to Defense Express, "Sparta II," based on MarineTraffic data, is currently located south of Cyprus, heading on a course of 269°. The final destination of its route is currently unknown. Among the possible options is a return to the Baltic Sea or heading to its potential new base in Libya, which is currently divided in half and faces the threat of slipping into a third civil war.
At the same time, the scenario where Russia attempts to navigate these ships through the Bosporus and the Black Sea to its nearest ports, such as Novorossiysk, is highly questionable. The concern is not only that Turkey might block their passage, but also that they would then become the number one target for Ukrainian maritime drones.
Moreover, even passage through the Mediterranean Sea could be perilous for Russian vessels. It is worth recalling that on December 24, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported the loss of the Ursa Major, a vessel slightly smaller than the cruiser "Moskva", which now rests on the seabed.