Russia In Talks To Establish Miliary Bases In Eastern Libya

Libyan renegade general Khalifa Haftar during a reception ceremony upon arrival at a Moscow military airfield on September 26, 2023 [AFP]  

Bloomberg: Putin’s move to secure Libya bases is new regional challenge for US, European allies 

Russia is moving to expand its military presence in eastern Libya, a plan that could lead to a naval base, giving it a significant foothold on Europe’s southern doorstep. 

A defense accord is being hammered out between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Libya’s eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar following their meeting in Moscow in late September, according to people briefed on the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive issues. 

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Update #1: Bloomberg: Russia’s plans to establish military bases in Libya spark concern in U.S. over potential ‘to spy on all of E.U.’ (Meduza)  

Update #2: Russia plans to build a military base in Libya (RBC Ukraine)  

WNU Editor: Russia has been cultivating close ties with Libyan leader Khalifa Haftar for years .... Russia woos Haftar, but can the Derna floods give Libyans another chance? (France 24). More here .... East Libya commander Haftar in Moscow for talks with Putin (Al Jazeera).

Russian Mercenaries Are Playing A Major Role In Libya's Civil War

 

BBC: Wagner: Scale of Russian mercenary mission in Libya exposed 

A BBC investigation has revealed the scale of operations by a shadowy Russian mercenary group in Libya's civil war, which includes links to war crimes and the Russian military. 

A Samsung tablet left by a fighter for the Wagner group exposes its key role - as well as traceable fighter codenames. 

And the BBC has a "shopping list" for state-of-the-art military equipment which expert witnesses say could only have come from Russian army supplies. 

Russia denies any links to Wagner. 

The group was first identified in 2014 when it was backing pro-Russian separatists in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. 

Since then, it has been involved in regions including Syria, Mozambique, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. 

Wagner's fighters appeared in Libya in April 2019 when they joined the forces of a rebel general, Khalifa Haftar, after he launched an attack on the UN-backed government in the capital, Tripoli. 

The conflict ended in a ceasefire in October 2020.  

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Update: BBC Investigation Exposes Extent Of Russian Mercenary Involvement In Libya (RFE)  

WNU Editor: Regular readers of this blog know that Russia's involvement in Libya's civil war is old news, and Moscow's close relationship with Khalifa Haftar goes back years .... Russia Wants To Play A Bigger Role In Libya (December 28, 2016).  

Update #2: Russia is not the only big foreign military player in Libya .... Russia and Turkey concur on the need to withdraw all foreign fighters from Libyan soil (Lybia Observer). More here .... Libya: Why are there more than 20,000 fighters from Russia, Syria and Chad? (The Africa Report). 

Update #3: Russia now wants to win in Libya's political arena .... Putin's Qaddafi Comeback Gambit Sows New Conflict With the West (Financial Post/Bloomberg).