Vessel to evacuate Russian troops from Syria breaks down in open sea
23.12.2024 - 11:42
The cargo ship Sparta, which Russia used to transport weapons and equipment from Syria, stopped due to a technical malfunction.
The incident occurred in the open sea near Portugal. This was reported by the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
The cause was a broken fuel pipe of the main engine. The crew is trying to fix the problem, but the ship is still drifting.
Meanwhile, the remnants of the Russian military contingent in Syria have completed their redeployment and are concentrated in two points: at the Khmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base.
Some of the Russian weapons and equipment have already begun to be transported by sea from the port of Tartus to Libya.
At the same time, the Russian military in Syria is actively discussing the demand of the country’s new authorities to Moscow. According to unofficial data, Damascus insists on the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Syria, including the bases in Hmeimim and Tartus, by February 20, 2025.
This step is probably connected with the desire of the new Syrian leadership to achieve the lifting of international sanctions.
Recently, USM wrote that the European Union will discuss the closure of the Russian naval base with the new Syrian authorities.
