On August 9, the Syrian foreign ministry announced that, following approximately 18 months of negotiations, Syria and Russia had concluded a memorandum of understanding.

Axar.az reports, citing Eurasia Review, that the Russian presence at the Tartus naval facility, and at the Hmeimim air base adjacent to Latakia International Airport, would be “reorganized”. The bases would pass into Syrian civilian administration, and their military facilities would be redefined as joint Syrian-Russian training and qualification centers.

As a result the Russian naval base at Tartus on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, operational for 55 years, is now virtually defunct. A Nato official is reported as saying: “There has been nothing there since June. That’s the first time in more than 10 years. This is pretty significant.”

Russian vessels previously stationed in the Med have been diverted to protect Putin’s armada of sanctioned oil tankers which operate principally on Baltic-to-ocean routes, passing through the Danish straits, the North Sea and, in some cases, the English Channel.