<P> In late December 2017, Russia announced it had set about" forming a permanent grouping" at the Tartus naval facility as well as at its Hmeymim airbase, after president Putin approved the structure and the personnel strength of the Tartus and Hmeymim bases . </P> <P> The Russian facility at Tartus has been used for delivering armaments and supplies by Russian dock landing ships and cargo ships that pass the Straits from the Russian Black Sea port in Novorossiysk to Syria (the Syrian Express)--for the purposes of Russia ′ s military operation that began on 30 September 2015 as well as for the Syrian Arab Army . According to media reports, a drastic intensification of traffic of the Syrian Express was noted since mid-August 2015 . </P> <P> The facility was established during the Cold War in accordance with a Soviet--Syrian agreement concluded in 1971, with a view of supporting the Soviet Navy ′ s 5th Operational Squadron in the Mediterranean, which was meant as a counterbalance to the U.S. ′ Sixth Fleet headquartered in Italy (then in Gaeta). </P> <P> In the early 1970s, similar support points were located in Egypt, Ethiopia (Eritrea), Vietnam and elsewhere . In 1977, the Egyptian support bases at Alexandria and Mersa Matruh were evacuated and the ships and property were transferred to Tartus, where the naval support facility was transformed into the 229th Naval and Estuary Vessel Support Division . </P>

How long has russia had a base in syria
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