Russia has begun withdrawing its naval and military assets from Syria amid the collapse of Syria President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said in a post on Telegram on Dec. 8.
The withdrawal comes as rebels advancing from Damascus push toward Syria's coastal provinces, including Latakia, Hama and Tartus, where Russian military bases are located, HUR wrote in its post.
HUR said the Russian army withdrew two ships, the frigate "Admiral Grygorovych" and the cargo ship "Inzhenier Trubin," from the Tartus Naval Base, which was under Russian control as part of a security arrangement with the Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Russian military planes are transferring weapons and equipment from the Khmeimim Air Base, according to HUR.
The agency claimed that losing the Tartus and Khmeimim bases would mark a significant blow to Russia's presence in the Middle East and solidify its defeat in the region.
The Kremlin has long been a key supporter of the Assad regime, maintaining a substantial military presence in Syria through facilities such as the Tartus Naval Base, the Khmeimim Air Base, and other strategic sites across the country.
Russia's military intervention played a pivotal role in Assad's 2016 capture of Aleppo, solidifying the regime's grip on power.
However, this fragile stability was upended by a lightening offensive in late November that saw the Assad regime fall to the rebels within just a couple of weeks.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
