Russia Reportedly Withdraws Ships from Syria's Tartus Naval Base Amid Escalating Conflict

Russia has reportedly withdrawn its key naval assets from Mediterranean seaport in Tartus, Syria, as the Syrian civil war increasingly turns against President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

According to a Naval News report, the auxiliary vessel Yelnya was seen departing Tartus on the morning of December 2. Information suggests that other vessels, including frigates and a submarine, may also have vacated the port. At the time, the Russian task force in the Mediterranean comprised a Grigorovich-class frigate, the corvette Mercury, two Gorshkov-class frigates, and the diesel-electric submarine Ufa.

Russia officially refers to Tartus as a logistics hub rather than a military base. Tartus serves as the Russian Navy’s sole replenishment and repair station in the Mediterranean. It has also been a key entry point for Russian special forces supporting Assad’s government in the long-standing Syrian conflict.

In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the expansion of the base. Its importance further increased after 2022, when Türkiye restricted access to the Black Sea for warships following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

However, analysts suggest that the recent withdrawal reflects growing concerns over the safety of Russian naval assets in the region. As the Syrian civil war intensifies, maintaining security in Tartus has become increasingly challenging.

Syria, embroiled in civil war since 2011, has seen a sharp escalation in violence in recent weeks. A coalition of opposition forces, led by the militant Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched an offensive on November 27. The rebels have seized much of Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, and pushed toward Hama, threatening government-controlled areas along the main road to Damascus.

These developments have caught Assad’s forces off guard, leading to significant territorial losses. Rebel advances highlight a dramatic shift in a conflict that once saw Assad reclaim most of the country with Russian support.

Russia has maintained a military presence in Syria since 2015, bolstering Assad’s forces in battles against opposition groups and terrorist organizations like the Islamic State. At its peak in fall 2024, Russian personnel in Syria numbered approximately 7,500, including military advisers, special forces, and former Wagner Group mercenaries contracted by the Russian Defense Ministry.