Russia is planning to ship some military equipment and weapons from the Tartus naval base in Syria to Libya, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) claimed on Jan. 3.
Rebels overthrew the Russia-backed regime of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in early December. Amid the fall of Assad's rule, Russia has reportedly begun withdrawing its naval and military assets from Syria.
Some mercenaries of Russia's Africa Corps are stationed at the Tartus base on the Mediterranean coast, HUR said.
Russia's Africa Corps reportedly emerged in 2023 and consists of over 2,000 soldiers and officers, as well as experienced mercenaries, many of whom previously served in the Wagner Group.
Africa Corps, sharing the name with Nazi World War II-era units in Africa, was likely previously deployed in Syria, Libya, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
According to the agency, Russian large landing ships Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, as well as the dry cargo ship Sparta, are scheduled to arrive in the Syrian port on Jan. 5.
Two more Russian vessels — the universal cargo vessel Sparta II and the tanker Ivan Skoblev — are expected to arrive on Jan. 8.
"Russia plans to use the Sparta and Sparta II cargo ships to transport military equipment and weapons from Syria to Libya," HUR said.
Another Russian warship, the frigate Admiral Golovko, is reportedly planning to refuel.
Armored personnel carriers, presumably taken from Syria, had already been relocated to one of the airfields in Russia's Vladimir Oblast, the agency noted.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Earlier, HUR said that losing the Tartus and Khmeimim bases would significantly damage Russia's presence in the Middle East and solidify its defeat in the region.
Kostiantyn Nechyporenko
(Updated: )
