Russian Cargo Ships and Warships Clear Out of Syria

The Russian military cargo ships Sparta and Sparta II have both departed the naval base at Tartus, Syria, along with a large volume of cargo that had been staged on the piers. The accumulation of Russian cargo at the base in December; the sealift ships’ long and expensive ballast voyage to Syria; the ships’ appearance alongside the military pier; and the simultaneous disappearance of the vessels and the cargo all appear to confirm an evacuation of military equipment.

Russia’s navy has occupied the northernmost pier in the port of Tartus since the 1970s, when the Soviet Union brokered a lease with dictator Hafez al-Assad. The lease may soon change: In December, U.S.-designated terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) overthrew Hafez’s son, the R…