New Syria government refusing evacuation of Russia military equipment, report says

Syria’s new authorities are reportedly refusing to grant entry to a ship to help it evacuate Russian military equipment from the country, amid the evolving relationship between Moscow and the new government in Damascus.

According to the Moscow Times last week, a Russian cargo ship named the “Sparta II”, has been drifting near the port of Tartus on the Syrian coast since 5 January, after having departed the western Russian port of Baltiysk on 11 December.

Since the rapid rebel offensive and overthrow of the late Assad regime on 8 December, Russian forces – who had been backing the deposed regime throughout the 14-year-long civil war – have been dismantling and attempting to transport their military equipment and air defence systems out of Syria.

That scramble has reportedly seen the Russians move air defence radars and over 100 trucks of equipment to the port of Tartus in order to evacuate them on a ship but, according to the report, no vessels have yet been allowed to dock to pick up the equipment and stranded personnel.

The ship is reportedly awaiting clearance from the new Syrian government, and until then, the Khmeimim Air Base in western Syria remains the only evacuation route that the Russian Defence Ministry can operate flights from.

The delay in the Syrian authorities’ approval for the Russian ship to dock at Tartus comes at a time when Moscow and Damascus are still yet to iron out their relations and foreign policy stances toward each other.

Although Russia was a key backer of Assad, it refrained from providing him and his regime adequate assistance during the rebel takeover, and the new Syrian authorities have so far held back from making any diplomatic moves against the Russians, potentially signalling ongoing talks between the two.

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