The Naval News website reports the first signs of the evacuation of Russian warships from the port of Tartus in northwestern Syria. The reason for this was a new outbreak of the civil war in Syria and the approach of opponents of the Bashar al-Assad regime to the city.
According to the publication, two Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates, an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, two support ships and a diesel-electric submarine were in Tartus.
One of the support vessels, the tanker Yelnya, left the port on December 2. However, information received by the site indicates that other ships also went to sea. It is assumed that they are heading to bases located in the Baltic Sea.
The Russian military operating in Syria is supplied through Tartus. Until February 2024, deliveries were carried out by ships from the Black Sea – this was called the “Syrian Express”. However, then this path was blocked by Ukrainian UAVs.