Two African states are frustrating Moscow's efforts to establish a stronger military presence in the continent following the fall of Assad.

A cargo vessel, Sparta, sent by Russia to evacuate its military equipment and weaponry from Syria, has broken down on the way and the Russian crew is adrift in the open waters near Portugal. Source: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) Quote: "The cargo vessel Sparta,

In fact, the scale of the challenge facing Syria is greater than that which confronted Libya in 2011. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown after less than a year of conflict that cost thousands of lives. But on his death, much of the country’s infrastructure remained intact. Libyan rebels had exported oil even before his overthrow.

Even with hopes running high, so much can go wrong when a country ousts a longtime dictator and tries to start anew

Russia has begun withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to two US officials and a western official familiar with the intelligence.

The country is deeply divided along religious and ethnic lines, which makes continuing violence one likely scenario.

History tells us that where a fragmented coalition of armed groups finds itself in a political vacuum, more violence is probably on the horizon.

Losing Syrian military bases would hurt the Kremlin’s attempts to project power in the Middle East and Africa.

A Russian cargo vessel tasked with transporting military equipment and personnel from Syria suffered a mechanical failure at sea, highlighting the logistical and strategic challenges Moscow faces amid its withdrawal from the war-torn nation.

The air forces of ascendant military powers are reflecting a new era in global military balance, where air dominance is increasingly seen as an integral part of national defense. These nations are actively upgrading their fleets with cutting-edge aircraft and increasingly sophisticated tech to shore up their influence on the world stage.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the ship was dispatched to evacuate troops from Syria and is currently adrift near Portugal.