A Russian army convoy was reportedly prevented from coming into Tartus naval base in Syria. That is the most recent indication of estrangement between the 2 erstwhile allies. The transfer got here amid the ongoing withdrawal of Russian forces from Tartus within the wake of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) sudden overthrow of dictator Bashar Al Assad late final 12 months.
“The Syrian Protection Ministry has prevented a Russian army convoy from coming into the Tartus base,” the Turkish TRT media outlet reported on Tuesday. “A column of 30 missile-armed autos that set out within the morning from the Khmeimim airbase in Latakia province was stopped at a checkpoint in Tartus by troops subordinate to the brand new Syrian authorities. After ready on the checkpoint for eight hours, the convoy was pressured to return to the Khmeimim base at round 5 p.m. native time.”
Video rising on social media confirmed Syrian forces ordering the convoy to show round and head again to Khmeimim. The vans look like caring missiles of their launch tubes.
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Syrian Arab Military blocked a Russian army convoy of round 35 army autos loaded with air protection missiles and varied weapons from coming into the town of #Tartus this night, and the convoy was pressured to show again in the direction of the Hmeimim base within the countryside of Latakia. pic.twitter.com/KBzT1GFabg
Russians have ceaselessly traveled this route to maneuver tools and provides from Khmeimim, their grasp airbase in Syria, to Tartus, the place that they had a significant naval facility previous to the autumn of Assad, and vice versa, as you possibly can see within the following movies.
Footage recorded yesterday displaying a big convoy of empty vans together with heavy obligation trailers heading from Tartus to Khmeimim.
No particular cause was given for the Russian convoy being denied entry to Tartus this time. Nonetheless, TRT famous that it befell “amid latest statements by the Protection Minister of the transitional authorities of Syria, Murhaf Abu Kasra, that the preservation of Russian bases would rely on their advantages for Syria.”
“If we profit from this for Syria, then sure,” the Russians may stay there, Abu Kasra was quoted as saying.
Negotiations between Moscow and Damascus over the way forward for Russian bases in Syria “are virtually definitely ongoing,” in keeping with an evaluation yesterday by the U.Okay.’s Protection Intelligence.
“Russia virtually definitely continues to actively have interaction HTS to develop ties and promote itself as a helpful companion,” the evaluation prompt. “Nonetheless, Russia’s negotiating place is weaker attributable to varied components, together with, most likely, the Syrian management’s hostile angle in the direction of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who’s now being sheltered by Russia.”
Regardless of persevering with its withdrawal from Syria, Russia nonetheless has a eager curiosity in sustaining a presence there. Having a port and air base on the Mediterranean provides it the power to mission tactical and strategic energy into NATO’s yard, in addition to into Africa and deeper into the Center East. Syria, in the meantime, may probably profit from the return of Russia’s advanced air defense systems to the nation serving to to guard its skies.
Including to the complexity of this concern, Turkey, which backed HTS’ shock overthrow of Assad, additionally desires to additional assert its affect over Syria. Turkish journalist Mete Sohtaoğlu instructed us that no deal has but been reached between Moscow and Damascus partly attributable to strain from Ankara.
The latest exercise in and round Tartus additionally follows reports from Syrian media that the nation’s fledgling authorities in Damascus canceled Russia’s 49-year lease settlement for its base in Tartus. The Kremlin had struck the deal again in 2017 with the Assad regime, which had basically gifted the naval facility, in addition to Khmeimim Air Base, to the Russians. Two years earlier, Russia’s army launched an intervention within the nation, which had saved Assad from advancing insurgent forces. Russian forces were still actively fighting rebel forces, together with parts of the coalition led by HTS that in the end deposed Assad, proper up till the collapse of the regime.
The port of Tartus in Syria is strategically positioned alongside the Mediterranean Sea and close to Africa. (Google Earth)
As a part of the Russian withdrawal from Tartus, two Russian-flagged roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) cargo ships – Sparta and Sparta II – have been loaded with tools. They transited the Strait of Gibraltar and are each at present positioned off the coast of Spain yesterday, in keeping with the MarineTraffic.com vessel monitoring web site. Sparta is bound for St. Petersburg, in keeping with MarineTraffic.com whereas Sparta II is headed for the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
As we beforehand reported, satellite tv for pc imagery taken on Jan. 25 that TWZ obtained from Maxar, confirmed these RO/ROs docked in Tartus amid cargo loading exercise. The 2 ships had been holding offshore for days earlier than lastly being allowed to enter the port.
The photographs additionally confirmed the disappearance of a major variety of Russian autos and different materiel from a pier the place that they had been marshaled weeks in the past. You possibly can learn extra about that in our preliminary report here.
It stays to be seen whether or not Syria will permit Russia to stay at Tartus and Khmeimim. Having the ability to flip round an armed convoy from Tartus highlights that Damascus has the higher hand in any negotiations over the way forward for these two services.
