U.S. Media: Russia Resupplies Its Air Force Base in Syria for the First Time Since the End of 2024

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, June 2 - According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on June 1, a cargo ship departed from St. Petersburg, Russia, in March this year and arrived at the port of Tartus, Syria, in May, delivering military equipment to the Russian Khmeimim Air Base.

The report states that this is the first time since the change of the Syrian regime in December 2024 that Russia has delivered supplies to the Khmeimim Air Base.

This is a street view of Damascus, the capital of Syria, taken on December 7, 2025. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Amar Safarjalani)

Satellite images from American company Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs show that the cargo ship "Sparta" was loaded in St. Petersburg in March and sailed along the European coast to Syria on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, arriving at Tartus port on May 11. An unnamed U.S. official stated that Russian naval vessels escorted the "Sparta" through the Mediterranean.

The Syrian transitional government, U.S. Central Command, and the Russian Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the report.

The Khmeimim Air Base and Tartus Naval Base are important footholds in Russia's global military layout, providing support for the Russian military's operations in and out of the Mediterranean. The president of the Syrian transitional government, Sharrah, visited Russia last October and met with Russian President Putin. At that time, Sharrah stated that the Syrian transitional government would adhere to all agreements signed with Russia by the previous regime. Sharrah visited Russia again in January this year. (Ocean)