Eekad, an investigative platform, has revealed details about a massive military expansion of “Putin’s forces in Libyan bases”, and a Russian expansion operation that is the largest of its kind in Libya. It said that it had monitored changes in five strategic military bases located in central and northern Libya: Al-Jufra, Al-Gardabiya, Brak Al-Shati, Al-Khadim, and Tobruk Port.
Eekad indicated that Brak Al-Shati base had witnessed changes in the infrastructure starting last March, ranging from building new facilities to renovating existing ones. It added that since last March, it had documented more than one airlift led by Russian military cargo planes toward the Brak Al-Shati base, in addition to the appearance of equipment groups among the aircraft carriers.
As for Al-Jufra base, Eekad has documented airlifts for Russian military cargo planes since late November, noting that one of the Wagner aircraft was attacked in December, but it said that the attack did not deter Moscow from continuing its military cargo flights to the base.
Eekad said that many of these flights coincided with reports of Russian forces arriving at the base, in addition to evidence of the base being used to reinforce the Russian African Corps (Legion).
Eekad explained at the end of the investigation that Russia had exploited Libya as a gateway to expand into Africa, by strengthening the presence of the Russian Corps and equipping the military infrastructure in Libyan bases such as Brak Al-Shati and Al-Jufra to be a launching point to increase its regional influence and expand Russian control in the African continent.
