Russia Reportedly Secures Sudan Naval Base, Military Presence Shifts From Syria – FT

Sudan and Russia have reportedly finalized an agreement to establish a naval base on the Red Sea coast, Financial Times reported Friday.

This reported deal marks a rare success for Moscow, which is seeking to expand its military presence in the region.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sharif, speaking from Moscow, confirmed that both sides had reached a full agreement on the base’s establishment, FT reported.

Although the Kremlin has not yet commented on the deal, the military facility in Sudan could serve as an alternative to Russia’s naval base in Tartus, Syria.

Russia began negotiations to set up a base south of Port Sudan in 2017 when former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir visited Moscow seeking support for his regime, FT reported.

The agreement comes after Sudan’s Armed Forces gained momentum in shifting the dynamics of the ongoing war through a series of battlefield victories. The army and allied Islamist militias are now preparing for a final assault on Khartoum after capturing the once-affluent northern suburbs of the capital, the publication reported.

Russia’s interest in a naval base in Sudan has grown since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, with Assad himself fleeing to Russia.

Previously, Moscow used the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartus naval base in northwestern Syria as logistical hubs for operations in the Middle East and Africa, including in Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic.

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However, Russia has recently reduced its presence at these facilities, and satellite images suggest preparations for a possible evacuation.

Syria’s new government has not stated whether it will allow Russia to retain its bases in the country but has reportedly requested that Moscow hand over Assad, according to a person familiar with the situation, FT reported.

Russia’s intervention in Syria in 2015, initially aimed at supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s regime during the civil war, led to the permanent deployment of thousands of Russian troops there.

In the fall of last year, Moscow transferred some troops and equipment from Syria to the battlefield in Ukraine, potentially making their forces in Syria more vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks in the region.

Due to their prolonged presence in the region, the Russians have created numerous recruitment centers to enlist Syrian mercenaries for the war in Ukraine.

Mercenary recruitment is overseen by the Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides and Refugee Movement Management at the Hmeimim airbase, occupied by Russia.

There, mercenaries are issued Russian passports and then incorporated into the Russian Armed Forces.

In May 2023, HUR chief Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov promised to “destroy Russian war criminals anywhere in the world they may be.”

In early June, Kyiv Post also published exclusive footage of Ukrainian special forces attacking enemy checkpoints, strongholds, foot patrols, and columns of military equipment in the Golan Heights in Syria.

According to Kyiv Post’s HUR source, since the beginning of the year, insurgents with the support of Ukrainian fighters have struck numerous times against Russian military facilities under the control of the so-called Russian Armed Forces Group in the Syrian Arab Republic.

At the end of July, Kyiv Post received several exclusive videos and photos showing the continuation of the special operation by HUR units to destroy Russian forces in Syria.

According to Kyiv Post sources in the special service, the Khimik group carried out another complex strike on Russian occupation forces in Syria in late July 2024. This time, the target of the attack was Russian military equipment at the Kuweires airfield, located east of Aleppo.

Later Exclusive footage from Kyiv Post sources appears to show HUR special forces attacking a Russian base in Syria, near Aleppo, on Sept. 15, where Moscow was producing and testing strike UAVs.

In addition to Syria, Ukrainian HUR special forces continue hunting for pro-Kremlin Wagner mercenaries in Sudan and other parts of the African continent.

On July 29, Kyiv Post received a unique photo of Malian Tuareg rebels posing with the Ukrainian flag, showing their support for Ukraine.

In February, Kyiv Post acquired exclusive footage allegedly showing Ukrainian special forces interrogating captured Wagner Group mercenaries in the Republic of Sudan. In the video, the prisoners confess that their mission was to get to Sudan and overthrow the government there.

In January, Kyiv Post published an exclusive video allegedly showing Ukrainian drones destroying “Russian mercenaries” and their “local terrorist partners” in Sudan.

And last November, it got an exclusive video allegedly showing Ukrainian special forces performing “cleaning up” operations of Wagner fighters in Sudan.