Russia to Establish Naval Base in Tartus, Syria - Deputy Defense Minister

Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov said that Russia plans to establish a permanent naval base in the western Syrian port city of Tartus.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia plans to establish a permanent naval base in the western Syrian port city of Tartus, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov said at the upper house of Russian parliament Monday.

"We will have a permanent naval base in Tartus in Syria. The relevant documents have been drafted. They are undergoing inter-agency coordination… and we hope that soon we will ask you to ratify [the agreement]," Pankov told lawmakers.

Tartus hosted the Russian Navy maintenance and support facility since 1977. Currently, the Tartus facility is the Russian Navy’s only support base in the Mediterranean Sea. It continues to perform its designated mission. The Tartus facility is manned exclusively by civilians.

On August 26, 2015, a Russian-Syrian unlimited-duration agreement was signed on the deployment of a Russian Air Force aviation group in Syria at the Hmeymim airport (Latakia province). Ratification of the agreement is pending in the Russian lower house of parliament.