The British intelligence highlights that following the fall of Assad's regime in Syria, the uncertainty regarding Russia's future presence in the eastern Mediterranean remains high.
This is stated in the UK Ministry of Defence's review of the Russian-Ukrainian war dated January 21, as reported by "European Truth".
The ministry emphasizes that after the collapse of Assad's regime, Russia's former Syrian ally, the Russian Permanent Mediterranean Operational Group no longer has access to its naval base in Tartus for maintenance and logistical support. There is no comparable alternative base in the region for the Russian operational group.
The future of Russian bases in Syria remains unclear as long as political uncertainty prevails in the country, according to the British Ministry of Defence. However, it is almost certain that Russia aims to maintain its presence in the Mediterranean.
The ability to provide logistical support to both its military and mercenaries in Africa, along with mitigating the reputational damage caused by the fall of Assad's regime, will likely be priorities for the Russian government.
At the same time, the intentions of Russia to relocate any forces or equipment to potential alternative deployment locations in North Africa remain uncertain.
Furthermore, British analysts believe that the Russian leadership almost certainly considers the war in Ukraine its top priority.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Russia and Iran were complicit in the crimes of the overthrown Syrian President Bashar Assad, and his fall demonstrated that they were "unreliable partners".
German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius believes that the events in Syria show that countries with a strategic partnership with Russia can rely on it only as long as they are useful to Putin.