Fire on Russian spy ship near Syria
Radio Liberty reported that a fire apparently broke out in the engine compartment or chimney of the Russian reconnaissance ship “Kildin” while it was traveling in Syrian waters last week. The French Navy discovered the incident on Thursday but did not receive a report until Monday.
French naval sources told France Internationale that the fire started at around noon GMT and lasted for about five hours. Kildin is said to have rejected all offers of assistance.
The Kildin is a 55-year-old intelligence ship built in Poland under Soviet control and is one of a series of nine ships. RFI said its mission to Syria is to monitor communications for information about the intentions and plans of Syria’s new rulers.
Cargo shipments at Tartus
Satellite images obtained on Monday showed that shipping traffic has finally resumed at the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, suggesting that military equipment that has been waiting at the dock for the past month may be evacuated.
The Russian Navy has leased the North Dock of the Port of Tartus since the 1970s, and for decades the dock has been Russia’s only significant foothold in the Mediterranean port. But that may be changing: Last December, the Tahrir al-Hyder group, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, overthrew the Russian-backed dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime, ending a 13-year civil war.
Russian troops have retreated to Tartus and Khmeimim, where the Russian Air Force has air bases. Since then, dozens of military vehicles, said to include valuable parts for the S-400 air defense system, have been stranded in Tartus.
Two military cargo ships, the Spartan and the Spartan II, were sent from the Baltic Sea to Syria and arrived in early January. They were stranded off the coast for weeks amid rumors that negotiations between Russia and Syria were underway. The two ships finally arrived at the base early last week, and satellite images taken on Monday showed a significant change in the dock. The Spartan II has left the port and is on its way, and most of the equipment docked at the dock is now gone. The Spartan remains moored there, with a nearby staging area filled with containers.
