🇸🇾🇷🇺 That’s interesting: Russian warships have returned to their base in Tartus, Syria, despite an agreement to hand over the facility to Syrian authorities. In early September, the destroyer Admiral Levchenko, the logistics support vessel Sparta, and the replenishment oiler Akademik Pashin were spotted in the port. The tanker General Skobelev was also part of the flotilla. According to Radio Liberty, the ships were heading south off the coast of Spain as late as late August.While Egypt was their declared destination, they turned off their transponders after passing the Strait of Gibraltar. Satellite imagery later confirmed that the flotilla had docked in Tartus and was unloading an unknown cargo. Russia's military presence in Syria has shrunk significantly since the fall of Assad, but Moscow appears to be maintaining its foothold in the country, the newspaper concludes. "Syria’s new leadership needed things that only Russia could offer"—Syria's weapon stockpiles are mostly Russian-made, so Damascus "needs to replenish its warehouses." 😆Subscribe