--- title: "New Course in Syria: Russia and Damascus to Create a Logistics Hub in Tartus" description: "Russia and Syria have agreed to create a logistics hub in Tartus: one berth of the base will go to commercial use, the second will remain for the Russian Navy. πŸ‡·πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡ΈπŸ‡Ύ The start of grain and coal shipments from Novorossiysk is scheduled for July 2026." date: 2026-07-14T13:39:38.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/new-course-in-syria-russia-and-damascus-to-create-a-logistics-hub-in-tartus tags: [vladimir-putin, ahmed-al-sharaa, tartus, russia-syria-relations, logistics-hub] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # New Course in Syria: Russia and Damascus to Create a Logistics Hub in Tartus ![New Course in Syria: Russia and Damascus to Create a Logistics Hub in Tartus](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/14/rossiya-i-siriya-dogovorilis-o-vozobnovlenii-raboty-bazy-v-tartuse/rossiya-i-siriya-dogovorilis-o-vozobnovlenii-raboty-bazy-v-tartuse-1.webp) Russia and Syria have reached a fundamental agreement on the transformation of part of the infrastructure of the naval base in Tartus. According to Reuters, citing Syrian officials, Moscow has maintained its strategic presence in the region by agreeing with the new leadership in Damascus to create a joint logistics center. Under the terms of the new agreement, one of the two berths of the base will be handed over for commercial operation, while the second will remain for the exclusive use of the Russian Navy. This project was announced in late January 2026 during a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the interim President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa. ### Launch of a Regular Route and Supply Volumes The essence of the agreement is the organization of a regular transport corridor between the Russian port of Novorossiysk and the Syrian port of Tartus. The new route is intended to deliver a wide range of goods to Syria and the countries of the Persian Gulf: wheat, timber, coal, rice, sugar, and steel. The implementation of the project has been entrusted to the logistics company "Russ Line." According to the plan, the volume of monthly shipments in the first stage will amount to 250,000 tons. The start of commercial activity is scheduled for mid-July with the shipment of the first batch of grain totaling 30,000 tons. ### From Crisis to Cooperation: How the Situation Changed The current stage of relations between Moscow and Damascus is the result of a complex diplomatic evolution. After the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, the status of Russian military facilities in Syria was threatened. The new authorities in the country reviewed a number of old agreements, in particular, terminating the 50-year contract with the Russian company "Stroytransgaz" for the development of commercial infrastructure in Tartus. During that period, the UAE, through DP World, signed a 30-year concession agreement for the reconstruction of the port worth $800 million, which led to the beginning of the evacuation of Russian military equipment. However, the political situation changed radically after a series of meetings between country leaders. A key moment was the visit of the interim head of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to Moscow on October 15, 2025. He assured Vladimir Putin of the new authorities' intention to comply with all previously concluded agreements. This statement signaled the preservation of two key Russian facilities: the Khmeimim air base and the naval base in Tartus. Already in October 2025, Russian military aircraft resumed flights to Khmeimim after a nearly six-month break. ### Economic Dependence and Political Context In addition to the military-political dialogue, Syria is demonstrating growing economic dependence on Russia. If in 2025 the country purchased 16.8 million barrels of Russian oil, by the beginning of 2026 imports had risen to 60,000 barrels per day. The political context of the situation remains complex. Ahmed al-Sharaa, who overthrew Moscow's long-time ally in 2024, was previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani. He led the "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" group, which was recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia in 2020. Despite this, Moscow managed to build a dialogue with the new leadership, providing political asylum to the family of the former leader Bashar al-Assad, who, according to media reports, is now living in seclusion in the Russian capital.