A Russian Su-24 strike aircraft in the sky over the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Photo: Dmitriy Vinogradov / RIA Novosti
Russia has quietly resumed resupplying its military bases on the coast of Syria, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on June 2.
According to U.S. officials and satellite imagery reviewed by the WSJ, a Russian cargo vessel completed the first such mission since the fall of the regime of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, underscoring Russian success in maintaining access to its air and naval bases under Syria’s new Islamist-led government.
The cargo ship Sparta departed Saint Petersburg in March and reached the port of Tartus, home to a support base of the Russian Navy, in May. It was escorted for much of its journey by Russian warships, including the frigate Admiral Kasatonov.
U.S. officials tracking the voyage told the WSJ the ship was carrying equipment destined for the Khmeimim Air Base, located further north along the Syrian coast.
The continued Russian military presence in Syria frustrated some U.S. officials who had hoped the fall of the Assad regime would deprive Moscow of a key Mediterranean platform used to support operations in Africa and South America, according to the report.
While Russia quickly built relations with the new Islamist-led government in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime — even reportedly exporting wheat and oil —, an agreement on the future of Russian bases on the country’s coast is yet to be reached.
Recent reports revealed that Syria is in talks with Moscow to convert Khmeimim into a training base for its new armed forces, although this would not mean that Russian troops would leave. The fate of the naval support base in Tartus seems less clear.
For now, Khmeimim Air Base remains fairly active, acting as a logistics hub linking Russia with the Middle East, and Africa.
While some U.S. officials who spoke with the WSJ played down the significance of the recent Russian supply mission, Washington could later pressure Syria over the issue. In the end, the mission was not a mere symbolic gesture, but a concrete demonstration of Russia’s enduring influence in the country.
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