What do we know about the fate of Russia's military bases in Syria?

The fate of Russia’s prized air and naval bases on Syrian territory hangs in the balance after the dramatic ousting of Kremlin ally President Bashar al-Assad.

Russia has two military bases in Syria: the Tartus naval base on the Mediterranean coast and the Khmeimim Air Base near the port city of Latakia. They are considered among the Kremlin’s most strategically important military outposts.

The Tartus site is particularly critical, providing Russia with its only direct access to the Mediterranean sea and a base to conduct naval exercises, station warships and even host nuclear submarines.

But according to Russian news agency TASS, Syrian rebel fighters have already taken full control of Latakia province where both bases are based.

The Kremlin says it is taking steps to “establish contact in Syria with those capable of ensuring the security of military bases,” according to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Russian state media has also claimed Moscow has secured the fate of the bases as part of a deal that saw Bashar al-Assad and his family offered refuge in Russia.

But there has been a flurry of reports, including from Russian military bloggers, which suggest Russia is withdrawing from its bases.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is pulling out its weapons and military equipment and evacuating troops from its Syrian bases.

"To retreat from Syria, the Russians have deployed a caravan of military transport aircraft, which are loading the remaining troops, weapons, and military equipment," Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said in a statement.

According to Reuters, satellite imagery of Russia’s Tartus base suggests at least three warships have left the port and set anchor at sea around 13km from the coast.

The US-based