Five Russian ships have navigated past Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea: three large landing ships - “Ivan Gren,” “Alexander Otrakovsky,” and “Alexander Shabalin,” along with cargo vessels “Sparta” and “Ursa Major.” The latter is a cargo ship equipped with two port cranes. “Sparta” and “Ursa Major” are visible on MarineTraffic's map, but military vessels' positions are not displayed. OSINT analysts who specialize in maritime tracking reported the three landing ships' entry into the Mediterranean. The Portuguese OSINT project Espada & Escudo notes that the landing ships were escorted by the Portuguese Navy.

According to MarineTraffic, “Ursa Major” is destined for Vladivostok, while “Sparta” is headed for Port Said in Egypt. However, OSINT analyst H. I. Sutton believes the ships are bound for Tartus, Syria, to evacuate Russian troops, equipment, and resources, ultimately ending operations at the base. The news outlet Meduza points out that until 2022, the two cargo ships were part of the so-called “Syrian Express,” supplying the Russian military contingent in Syria.

On December 8, Syrian opposition forces entered Tartus, capturing government buildings without resistance. On December 9, it was reported that Russian warships had left the naval supply point in Tartus, as observed in satellite images. Around that time, TASS, citing sources, reported that leaders of Syrian rebel groups assured the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic missions in the country. They now fully control the province of Latakia, where Tartus and the Russian airbase at Khmeimim are located.

  Syria, Tartus

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