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fullscreen Analyzes of satellite images and aerial data show that Russia appears to be moving its assets from Syria to other bases in Libya and Mali Photo: AFP Photo/Satellite Image 2024 Maxar Technologies
Putin is worried that the country’s military assets will end up in the hands of the rebels.
A flight to bases in Africa is now underway, satellite images show.
The move is said to be costly for Russia.
Assad’s reign of terror in Syria collapsed in a matter of days.
For Russia, which has two military bases in the country and supported the regime in the civil war, the rebels’ seizure of power in Damascus came as a shock.
Putin is said to have demanded information from his intelligence service why the threat from the rebels was not detected before it was too late, according to Kremlin sources to Bloomberg.
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full screen Vladimir Putin is said to be demanding information from the intelligence service about why the threat from the rebels in Syria was not discovered before it was too late. Photo: Grigory Sysoyev / AP
Satellite analysis reveals the retreat
Russia has said it is in negotiations with the new regime in Syria over the future of its military bases in the country.
But at the same time, analyzes of satellite images and aerial data now show that Russia appears to be moving its assets to other bases in Libya and Mali, writes Radio Free Europe.
Experts believe that a partial or full-scale retreat is being prepared from both Russian bases along the coast of Syria.
An unusually large number of flights have gone between Russia and Libya in recent weeks. A number of flights have also gone directly from Syria to Libya.
Increased activity in Sudan
The site states that on December 12, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane took off from Russia, flew to Libya, returned to Russia the next day and immediately flew back to Libya.
A few days later, another Ilyushin Il-76 flew back and forth from Russia to Mali.
Increased activity has also been observed in the Russian naval base in Sudan.
The base began construction on Sudan’s Red Sea coast following an agreement in 2019, but it is unclear if it is yet fully operational, Radio Free Europe said.
But the price to save the assets from the Russian air base and naval base in Syria could be high.
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full screen A Russian warship and Russian submarines at the base in Tartus in Syria. Photo: Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP
Expensive move for Russia
Russian cargo flights to Libya go over Turkish airspace and mean, according to the Institute for the Study of War think tank, that “Turkey is increasing its political influence over Russia”.
It is also associated with high costs for logistics.
The heavily laden military cargo planes may have difficulty reaching the bases in Africa without landing to refuel. This may require expensive agreements with other countries’ airports.
– In order to carry out important operations, Russia will be forced to pay large sums of money, both for its air and sea fleet, says Roland Marchal at the Paris Institute of Political Studies to Radio Free Europe.