Analysts say Russia is transferring large amounts of military equipment to Syria, a sign that it is preparing for a partial withdrawal.

Satellite images show a concentration of military vehicles at Russian-controlled ports and air bases in western Syria.

Transport planes also appear to have arrived and departed from the country in recent days.

BBC verify also geolocated video showing a large number of Russian military trucks heading north towards the bases.

The Institute for War Studies said this showed Russia was preparing to reduce or withdraw its troops altogether.

The Washington-based think tank added that moving the military vehicles to its base could be a precautionary measure while Moscow negotiates with the new government in Damascus.

Russia had a large military presence in Syria during Bashar Assad’s rule, helping him stay in power after the civil war broke out in 2011.

Its two most important bases are the Port of Tartus and the Khmeimim Air Base. The former was established by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and was later expanded and modernized by Russia in 2012. The latter has been put into use since 2015. Used to launch air strikes across Syria in support of Assad.

Both have become important strategic bases for Russia – giving them easier access to the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean.

However, Assad’s downfall Questions raised about Russia’s future presence in Syria. Moscow is seeking to negotiate with the new regime.

On Monday, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that “no final decision has been made” and that Russia was “in contact with representatives of the forces currently controlling the situation in Syria.”

BBC verify has been monitoring activity at Hmeimim Air Base using Planet Labs satellite imagery. There are signs of continued activity, involving large military transport aircraft. Two large Antonov An-124 aircraft were seen at the base on Friday, possibly being used to move assets out of Syria. They left on Tuesday, but two large planes arrived at the base again on Wednesday morning.

Further images taken by Maxar Technologies on Sunday showed dozens of military vehicles parked near the airport, with a Russian-made IL-76 military transport aircraft available for evacuations.

BBC verify has tracked a large Russian Antonov An-124 on aircraft tracking website Flightradar24 since Tuesday. Its public trackers showed it flying over Russian airspace toward Syria. It then disappeared from Flightradar24 near the Syrian coast west of Khmeimim Air Base, possibly because its public trackers were turned off. Six hours later we could see it heading back north.

David Heathcote, intelligence manager at McKenzie Intelligence, said: Assad government collapses This means Russia is unlikely to have plans to evacuate resources.

He described the activity at Khmeimim Air Base as “unusual” and suggested that Russia was stockpiling some resources at the base and preparing to withdraw some equipment and personnel from Syria.

Tayfun Ozberk, a former naval officer and defense analyst, also believes that the images show that “Russia is withdrawing its troops from Syria and there are clear signs of air evacuation.”

“The presence of IL-76 aircraft, the absence of Russian ships in Tartus and the organized pre-positioning of vehicles and equipment support this conclusion,” Ozberk said.

BBC Verify reported last week how Russian warships have left the port of Tartusanalysts say they are temporarily stationed in international waters.

The ships have not yet returned, but satellite images show more than 100 military vehicles have arrived at the base in recent days.

Heathcote said the vehicles were likely being prepared for evacuation, although this was unlikely to be done immediately as there were no loading ramps and cranes.

Recent footage also shows large numbers of Russian vehicles traveling, suggesting they have been diverted from other Russian outposts across the country.

BBC Verify geolocated the videos and found they were on a major highway, suggesting they were heading north toward the base.

An 80-second video posted on X showed a long queue of Russian vehicles 30 kilometers south of Homs. Another video showed a convoy of Russian vehicles traveling on the same highway 70 kilometers outside Damascus.

“Russia is now withdrawing troops and military equipment that were deployed in nearly a hundred strongholds across the country before the fall of Damascus,” said Anton Mardasov, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute’s Syria Program.

Additional reporting by Ned Davis.