The Russian ship returned to the Syrian base of Tartous before its withdrawal

To date, no Russian military ships have been seen in Tartous since the fall of the Assad regime in early December. In earlier high-resolution satellite imagery, dozens of military vehicles could be seen parked near where the ships are now docked. Also nearby is a crane that can be used to load equipment.

It is possible that two other Russian naval vessels are also in port, naval analyst Frederik Van Lokeren told BBC Verify. He said the ship, Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, could also be involved in the evacuation – a sentiment echoed by Ukrainian military intelligence to BBC Verify.

“With the 49-year lease cancelled, it is very clear to Russia that it cannot hope to maintain a military presence in Tartous and as such, it seems pointless to remain there and delay the maritime evacuation any longer,” Mr Van Lokeren added.

Evacuation of all Russian equipment is possible, according to Anton Mardasov of the Middle East Institute’s Syria program.

“Throughout the year more is brought there than ships and these ships can take,” Mardasov told BBC Verify.

Meanwhile, there is also continued activity at Russia’s main airbase in Syria, Hmeimim. Satellite images have shown large Russian planes loaded with military equipment on various dates since the fall of the Assad regime.