The port in Tartus has been lost, but the logistics center of the Russian Navy continues to operate.
The authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic have terminated the agreement on the management of the seaport of Tartus with the Russian company Stroytransgaz. At the same time, the agreement on the logistics center of the Russian Navy, concluded in 2017 between the governments of the two countries, continues to operate. According to Izvestia sources familiar with the situation, there is no talk of a complete withdrawal from Tartus yet. However, experts call the incident a "wake-up call." The prospects for our presence and possible options for securing our fleet in the Mediterranean are described in the Izvestia article.
An important point in the Mediterranean Sea
The new Syrian authorities have terminated the agreement on the management of the seaport of Tartus with the Russian company Stroytransgaz, concluded in 2019. This was announced by the Director of the Tartus Province Customs Administration, Riad Judy.
— The agreement on investments in the port of Tartus with a Russian company has been cancelled. All proceeds from the port's activities will be used in the interests of the Syrian state," he said.
Photo: TASS/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image source: iz.ru
The Russian side used the port in Tartus based on two documents.
The terminated investment contract with the Russian company Stroytransgaz was concluded in 2019 for a period of 49 years. In particular, according to him, it was assumed that within four years the Russian side would invest 500 million dollars in the port.
The agreement between the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic on the expansion of the territory of the logistics support point (MTO) is still in force The Russian Navy in the area of the port of Tartus and the entry of Russian warships into the territorial sea, internal waters and ports of the Arab Republic on January 18, 2017.
According to the Minister of Defense of the Syrian government, Murhaf Abu Qasr, negotiations are currently underway on the future of Russian military bases on Syrian territory, but a final solution to this issue has not yet been found.
Photo: Global Look Press/Bulkin Sergey
Image Source: iz.ru
The termination of the lease agreement for the port is an unpleasant and alarming call for us, military expert Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia.
"This agreement concerns the commercial use of the port and its development, but not our MTO facility," said Vasily Dandykin. — Nevertheless, this is an unpleasant scenario for us. We still have interests in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Our bases in Syria occupied key locations. Of course, we don't have a full-fledged naval base in Tartus, but a base. Nevertheless, there are berths where our ships and submarines operating in the Mediterranean Sea were stationed. They were undergoing some types of repairs there. You can replenish fresh water and fuel supplies there, so as not to carry them from afar. Of course, they can be purchased in Algeria, for example, but it takes time to solve this problem.
If we lose the base in Tartus, then the ships of the Russian Navy will have nowhere to bunker and repair in the Mediterranean Sea, military expert Viktor Litovkin told Izvestia. He recalled that Turkey has now blocked the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits, so our ships cannot return or enter the Black Sea for the same repairs.
View of the Bosphorus Strait
Image source: Photo: TASS/ABACA/Xinhua
No one likes that we are present in the Mediterranean Sea, and first of all, the Americans and Israelis, Viktor Litovkin noted.
—There is pressure on Syria now, so there is a possibility that we will lose our base in Tartus," he said. — But so far the contract has been terminated only for the port. And the port and the base are different concepts. And our leadership, aware of this possibility, is now looking for a replacement for these databases. But where they will be located is a big question. There is no firm certainty that we will be able to settle in Libya, Algeria or Egypt. In particular, we once agreed on a base in Eritrea, but at the last moment the new government came and refused us.
Kirill Semenov, an expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, told Izvestia that the option of deploying a base in Libya is difficult due to the de facto dual rule in the country.
Photo: RIA Novosti/press service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Image Source: iz.ru
— If we are talking about official bases, and not about the gray layout of the fleet, then everything is not so simple. If Russia wants a formal agreement, it must be concluded with both the government in Tripoli and the House of Representatives in the east of the country. It will not be possible to simply conclude an agreement on the establishment of a base with Marshal Haftar (head of the Libyan National Army — Ed.), who is an influential person in the east of the country, Kirill Semenov told Izvestia.
Moreover, Russia has an embassy in the west of the country in Tripoli and the Russian Federation officially recognizes the government located there, the expert added.
In addition, he recalled that the issue of the base in Sudan also remains in limbo, as the war continues in the country.
Visit of dry cargo ships
The Russian dry cargo ships Sparta and Sparta II arrived in Tartus in the first decade of January, but all this time they were not allowed into the port by the Syrian authorities — the vessels were on an external raid.
Cargo ship "Sparta"
Image source: Photo: Oboronlogistics Press Service
According to the MarineTraffic website, the bulk carriers are currently moored in the port of Tartus, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.
"Sparta" and "Sparta II" belong to the Oboronlogistics company, he noted.
— It's no secret that she is connected with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, — said the expert. — Its vessels are used to meet the transport needs of the military department. Their appearance in Tartus may indicate that we are exporting certain goods — something from military or other property that was located at Russian bases in Syria. Over the years of our presence there, a lot of military equipment has accumulated.
Both bulk carriers are multifunctional vessels with horizontal and vertical loading and unloading methods.
Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev
Image source: iz.ru
The length of the cargo ship "Sparta" is 126.84 m. It can reach speeds of up to 15.9 knots and is capable of carrying up to 641 twenty-foot or 316 forty-foot containers. The deck can accommodate up to 35 road trains.
The Sparta II vessel is designed for the transportation of rolling machinery, trailers and semi-trailers, and cargo transportation in containers. It has two lower holds, a twin deck and one open upper deck.
Up to 213 forty-foot or 783 twenty-foot loaded containers can be transported in the cargo spaces of the vessel. In addition, the vessel can carry up to 20 units of standard road trains up to 17 meters long.
Vladimir Matveev
Bogdan Stepovoy
Albert Kalashyan
