Russia has stepped up its military withdrawal from Syria, removing vehicles and containers from its key Tartous port on the country's Mediterranean coast, analysis by BBC Verify suggests.

Two Russian ships docked at Syria’s main Mediterranean port last week, in what appears to be part of a large-scale withdrawal of equipment. The loss of access to the port has left Russia’s navy adrift – not to mention Moscow’s entire Middle East strategy.

The new authorities in Syria ended an agreement with the Russian company managing the key port of Tartous in the latest sign of Russia's waning influence in the country after the fall of the regime.