Britain has tracked six Russian naval and merchant ships carrying ammunition from Syria as they sailed through the Channel. The ships were retreating from Syria following the ousting of President Bashar Assad, a close Russian ally. Russia has been evacuating its military assets from Syria since Assad's overthrow, which the British defense ministry sees as a blow to Russia's ambitions in the Middle East. The withdrawal of ammunition from Syria shows that Russia's prioritization of its war in Ukraine has affected its capability to keep Assad in power.