Russia plans to establish a commercial logistics center within the military base it leases at Syria's Tartus port. Syrian officials announced that the center is targeted to become operational by mid-July.
The project is being carried out in cooperation between the Syrian logistics company Rus Line and Russian companies under the Russia-Syria Business Council. Ossama Ajaj, General Manager of Rus Line and Advisor to the Council, stated that the center will operate at pier number 4 of the port, within the 'restricted area' of the naval base. The other pier will remain reserved for Russian naval operations.
Ajaj stated that the plan took shape during a meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in January. The center is expected to establish a regular maritime line between Russia's Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea and Tartus, and to distribute goods to Syria and neighboring countries. Iraq and Jordan have been identified as primary target markets, while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain are also being targeted.
The center is initially planned to handle 250,000 tons of cargo per month. Products to be processed include wheat, grains, animal feed, vegetable oil, timber, steel, clinker, coal, rice, sugar, and mineral oils.
Port Authority Denies
Tartus Port Authority Spokesperson Mazen Alloush described the reports that Russia would operate a commercial logistics center at the port as 'completely baseless.' Alloush stressed that any project or agreement concerning Syria's ports and border crossings would be announced only through official government channels.
US Response and Monitoring
The US is closely monitoring Russia's commercial and logistics projects in Syria. Congressman Joe Wilson last month added an amendment to the Pentagon budget requiring an assessment of options to reduce Russia's influence in Syria. A State Department official said, 'We are closely monitoring Russia-backed commercial and logistics projects and are concerned that such initiatives may not contribute to stability in the country.'
The official stated that the US encourages Syria to work with 'reliable institutional partners – especially US firms' in the reconstruction process and urged Damascus to comply with sanctions against Russia.
Russia's Economic Influence in Syria
Russia is seeking to consolidate its influence through economic channels while the future of its military presence in Syria is being debated. Eighty-five percent of Syria's imported wheat – 2.9 million tons for the 2025-26 season – comes from Russia and Russian-annexed Crimea. Additionally, Syria's dependence on Russian crude oil is growing; approximately 16.8 million barrels of Russian oil were imported in 2025.
A classified report submitted by Russia's military intelligence agency GRU to the presidential administration in December 2025 recommended increasing support for economic actors that could strengthen Russian influence in Syria. The report is said to identify Luay Yusuf, Chairman of the Russia-Syria Business Council, as a key figure in this strategy.
Nanar Havach, senior Syria advisor at the International Crisis Group, said, 'Russia's dominance over Syria rests on what it supplies and sustains, and on a United Nations Security Council vote that outlasts any troop withdrawal.' Havach added that the logistics role strengthens Russia's hand by keeping it physically at the port while the base's future is being determined.
