Russia Clings On in a Divided Syria

A Russian Navy Ropucha-class amphib at Tartus in better days (Russian Ministry of Defense)

Published Mar 3, 2025 11:44 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The Russian evacuation of its heavy equipment from Syria continues, whilst the Russian naval presence lingers in the Mediterranean, for the time being making do without Tartus as a base facility.

The Russian military cargo ship Sparta IV was alongside in Tartus for several days up to February 25, loading wheeled armored vehicles. The Krivak-class Admiral Grigorovich (F745) appears to be lying just offshore, in Syrian territorial waters, providing protective cover and poised to escort the Sparta IV on its homeward journey. At the other end of the Mediterranean, the Gorshkov-class Admiral Golovko (F461) looks as if it may have been escorting the Baltic Leader, another Russian cargo ship last seen in Tartus in early February, as it made its way back eastwards across the Mediterranean. In between times, the Ropucha-class landing ship Alexandre Shabalin (L110) has also been loading in Tartus, a more obviously naval vessel. On March 2, Admiral Grigorovich, Alexandre Shabalin, Sparta IV and two other Russian cargo ships, the Syanie Severa and Asacalon, were noted by naval open source specialist MT Anderson leaving Tartus as a convoy.

These ship movements indicate that the Russians have business-like dealings with the new Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government in Syria, who have also provided effective protection to allow the evacuation to continue without interdiction or hindrance. But the fact that heavy equipment is being withdrawn clearly implies that if the Russians manage to retain a foothold in Syria, it will be a smaller presence and will have a restricted role when compared with the operational freedom that the Russians had enjoyed since Soviet days.

Russian negotiations with the HTS government continue over a future presence. But as the talks continue, the political environment is changing. Given the recent global political upheavals, it should no longer be assumed that the United States is opposed to a continued Russian presence – as the Biden administration unambiguously was.

Israel has no wish to see an Iranian-dominated Syria, part of a Shi’a crescent of influence stretching from Iran, across Iraq and Syria, into Lebanon, replaced by Islamist influence supported from a dominant Turkey to the north. A continued Russian presence could act as a restraint on Turkey, as could a continued US presence in Syria. Israel’s interests are better served by a weak but stable Syria; hence its move into Syrian areas of the Golan Heights and its stated intention to support the Syrian Druze minority in areas south of Damascus, which have been threatened by HTS-aligned forces in recent weeks.

Israel also has an interest in preserving moderately-inclined Kurdish political autonomy in North East Syria and also in Iraq, as a counter-weight to both Sunni and Shi’a extremists and factional fighting, but also as a bulwark against increased Turkish influence.

The Russians have continued to maintain a naval presence in the Mediterranean, headed by its Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar (B265). Without its base facility in Tartus, it instead has used port calls in Algeria and Libya as a means of resting crews and replenishing ships, and its oiler auxiliaries have even still been permitted to top up in Tartus. It will be a while before such port calls overtax those hosting the Russians – by which time the Russians may have arrived at a new slimmed-down basing deal with the new Syrian government.

    

UK Tracks Russian RoRo Carrying Arms from Syria Escorted by Warship

HMS Somerset monitoring Russian cargo RoRo Baltic Leader (Photos courtesy of Royal Navy)

Published Mar 5, 2025 10:08 AM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The UK’s Royal Navy is reporting it has completed a three-day operation tracking the movements in the English Channel of a Russian warship and a military cargo ship believed to be bringing armaments back from Syria. It was the latest in a series of movements that have become so frequent The Times (London) reports it has been nicknamed “the Syrian Express.”

The Royal Navy reports that the Russian corvette Boikiy was first detected moving south from the Baltic and HMS Somerset, a Type 23 frigate based in Portsmouth, was dispatched to track the movements of the warship. The UK regularly tracks the movement of Russian warships in the Channel with Commander Joel Roberts of the frigate commenting, “Somerset is well versed in the escort of Russian ships, having conducted these operations on a number of occasions.”

This time it triggered a multi-day operation that included Somerset as well as coordination with UK patrol aircraft and NATO forces. The Somerset deployed her Merlin helicopter to gather additional information and the Belgian minehunter BNS Crocus also joined in the tracking.

 

Somerset trailing the Russian corvette Boikiy

 

Boikiy rendezvoused with the cargo ship Baltic Leader which was believed to be coming from the Tartus base in Syria. Previous reports indicated the ship was being used to remove military equipment as part of the Russian evacuation after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. In its report, The Times cites satellite images showing military equipment on the dock at Tartus on February 1 when the Baltic Leader docked.

In an exclusive, The Times published pictures of the transit of the corvette and cargo ship during the transit obtained from a fishing boat in the Channel. Men in military fatigues can be seen on the cargo ship and at times the Russians were manning their machine guns.

The operation continued from March 1 through March 3 as the Baltic Leader and the Boikiy made the transit heading toward the North Sea and the Baltic. 

 

Somerset (left) monitoring Baltic Leader with Boikiy ahead in the Channel mist

 

The RoRo cargo ship Baltic Leader (7,100 dwt) has become well-known for transporting Russian equipment. In 2022, France briefly detained the vessel for possible sanction violations and later attempted to prosecute the captain of the vessel. There was a dispute over the legal ownership of the vessel which led to the acquittal of the captain in October 2024. At the beginning of this year, the Portuguese reported tracking the vessel as it was inbound for the Mediterranean on another apparent voyage on the “Syrian Express.”

For Somerset, this was the second time this year it was activated to track Russian ships. In January, the Royal Navy reports Somerset along with the patrol ship HMS Tyne tracked the suspected Russian spy ship Yantar. Two weeks ago, HMS Iron Duke, HMS Tyne, and RFA Tideforce monitored five Russian ships. That convoy included three cargo ships that were also transiting from Syria and believed to be bound for a Russian Baltic port.