Russia is moving defence materials from Belarus to Libya in a bid to ramp up its military presence, according to experts.
Moscow appears to be strengthening its base in the North African country as it faces being thrown out of Syria after the Bashar al-Assad regime was overthrown by rebels.
Since December 8, flight data from FlightRadar24 shows at least three Russian military planes flying to Libya from Belarus, with the most recent cargo flight landing early Saturday morning.
Jalel Harchaoui, a North Africa specialist and fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defence think tank, told The Telegraph: “The challenges in Syria seem to be pushing Russia to ramp up its presence in eastern Libya, even if that wasn’t part of its original plan just weeks ago.”
He warned that Russia’s rapidly growing presence in Africa has allowed it to be “more exposed and vulnerable there, prompting a logical step: send in more material to protect your newly-expanded presence.”
Vladimir Putin’s country now faces uncertainty in Syria due to its close ties with the recently ousted Bashar al-Assad. Moscow has also now started to evacuate its hardware and personnel from Syria, admitting it has “withdrawn” some of its diplomatic staff already.
More departures are expected in the coming days and weeks as Russian troops were filmed packing up an air defence missile system, with armoured trucks lining up preparing to evacuate their positions.
However, senior officials from Russia are currently seeking to strike a deal with new leadership that has taken over Syria, with hope of retaining its bases in the country.
Mr Harchaoui said: “Even if Russia maintains its core bases in Syria – its naval facility at Tartus and its air base near Latakia – recent events there have obviously not been in Moscow’s favour.
“The upheaval makes Syria a more hostile environment for the Russian military, if only logistically, leaving it unable to stay there with the same level of comfort and security as before.”
