Amid the militant advance in Syria, Russia has withdrawn several of its warships from its base in Tartus. OSINT analysts have published satellite images showing that on December 1 and 3, two multipurpose frigates, the Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Golovko, the patrol ship Admiral Grigorovich, and the sea tankers Vyazma and Yelnya left the port.

According to the official version of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the ships left Tartus to participate in the exercises.

Tartus, Russia’s key naval base in the Mediterranean, remains an important strategic asset, providing logistics and support for operations in the region. The base was significantly expanded after the start of Russia’s military campaign in Syria in 2015. However, the current offensive by the opposition, led by the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (banned in Russia), has raised serious concerns.