Two Russian ships with links to its military have docked at the Kremlin naval base in Tartus on the Syrian coast, with experts saying the expected evacuation of the facility has finally begun.

Spartan and Spartan II docked in Tartus on Tuesday. Both ships are subject to U.S. sanctions and have been linked to transporting Russian weapons to Ukraine.

Analysts expect Russia to reduce its military footprint in Syria after the fall of Assad’s regime in December, which it supported during the civil war.

Large amounts of military hardware have been shipped to the port in recent weeks and can be seen in satellite photos analyzed by BBC Verify.

The images appeared to show dozens of vehicles and other equipment parked at the port. hardware First appeared in mid-December Video showed a large number of Russian vehicles heading north toward the base, suggesting they were being diverted from other outposts across the country.

The ship’s arrival comes amid reports in Syrian media that Russia’s lease on the port has been cancelled. Damascus’s transitional government declined to confirm the BBC report, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment when asked at a news conference in Moscow.

Tartus has been an important base for Russia in recent years, allowing it to refuel, supply and repair ships in the Mediterranean.

The Kremlin appears keen to retain control of the base, saying in December that Russian officials were discussing continuing issues with the new authorities.

Analysts said Spartan and Spartan II were ultimately owned by Oboronlogisticika LLC, a shipping company affiliated with the Russian Defense Ministry, but they were denied docking in Tartus while discussions continued. The ships have been stuck off the Syrian coast in the Mediterranean for weeks.

Ocean tracking sites showed the ships eventually docked on Tuesday night and subsequently switched off their transponders.

Weather in recent days has made it difficult to obtain clear satellite images. But images from the EU’s Sentinel radar satellite – which have lower resolution but are able to penetrate clouds – show the ships in a military area of ​​the port.

so far, No Russian warships spotted in Tartus Since the fall of the Assad regime in early December. In early high-resolution satellite images, dozens of military vehicles can be seen parked near where the ship is now docked. There are also cranes nearby that can be used to load equipment.

Naval analyst Frederik Van Lokeren told BBC Verify there may be two other Russian navy ships in the port. He said two ships, the Ivan Gren and the Alexander Otrakovsky, could also be involved in the evacuation – a sentiment expressed to BBC Verify by Ukrainian military intelligence.

“With the cancellation of the 49-year lease, Russia has made it very clear that it no longer wants to maintain a military presence in Tartus, so there seems to be no point in staying there and delaying the sea evacuation,” Mr Van Lochlen added.

Anton Mardasov of the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program said the withdrawal of all Russian equipment may take some time.

Mr Mardasov told BBC Verify: “Over the years, cargo has been shipped here far beyond what these ships can handle.”

Meanwhile, activity continues at Russia’s main air base in Syria, Khmeimim. Satellite images show large Russian aircraft carrying military equipment on various dates since the fall of Assad’s regime.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said Russian aircraft have transferred military personnel and equipment from Khmeimim to air bases in Libya at least 10 times since mid-December. The Kremlin has backed Tobruk warlords Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya.

Moscow has long maintained a presence at two bases cited by Ukrainian intelligence agencies – Khadim and Jufra. Dr Socha McLeod, a former member of the UN Working Group on Mercenaries, told BBC Verify that the facilities were previously run by the Wagner Group.

She said the Russian Defense Ministry had taken over management responsibility for the bases through the newly formed Afrika Korps. The force is directly managed by Moscow and has Takes over most of the previous responsibilities of the Wagner Group.

Dr Macleod added that the redeployment of Russian troops to the country “makes sense as Libya has become an important hub for Afrika Korps operations and access to West Africa”.

Additional reporting by Ned Davis and Joshua Cheatham. Drawing by Mesut Ersoz.