Satellite images from BlackSky and Planet Labs show Russian warships leaving the naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus and moving toward the coast. The base previously housed five surface ships and one submarine. Images from December 9 show the vessels leaving the port between December 6 and December 9 and are now anchored off the Syrian coast.

The move comes amid an escalation in Syria, where a coalition of opposition forces has stepped up military action, raising tensions in the region. Russian warships were previously reported to have left the Tartus base, but there has been no official comment from the Russian Defense Ministry on the matter.

Russian warships, including two Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates, one Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, an improved Varshavyanka-class submarine and two support vessels, have left the Tartus base and taken up positions off the coast, analysts said, in what could be a precautionary move amid the volatile situation in the region.

Earlier, in 2018, Russian warships also left the Tartus base amid the escalation of the situation in Syria. At that time, satellite images showed that the ships had left the port and were in the open sea.

In 2024, the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria finally fell as a result of a rapid offensive by opposition forces. In November, a large-scale operation began, during which key cities were captured, including Aleppo, Hama, and Homs. On December 8, the opposition entered Damascus, which marked the culmination of the conflict. Bashar al-Assad left the country and fled to Moscow. The fall of the Assad regime was a consequence of the internal weakening of the Syrian armed forces and the strengthening of the opposition.