Russia appears to be scrambling to reinforce its bases in Libya as it faces being thrown out of Syria, its other foothold in the Mediterranean.

A military official at al-Khadim air base in eastern Libya said that a half-dozen Russian planes — some coming from Russia and some from Syria — had arrived carrying military equipment since Dec. 8, when Syrian rebels overthrew Russia’s ally, Bashar al-Assad.

Russia is transferring advanced air defense systems and military equipment from its military base in Syria to Libya.

The Italian military tracking website Itamil Radar has reported the landing of a Russian Air Force An-124 aircraft at Al-Khadim Air Base, east of Benghazi, Libya. The aircraft reportedly departed from the Latakia airbase in Syria before arriving in Libya on Thursday.

Leaders in Rome fear Moscow's warships could be parked "two steps" from Italian shores, as Defense Minister Guido Crosetto put it.

The transfer marks the end of an era when Russia played an arguably oversized role in determining which countries could operate in Syria’s contested airspace.

Russia’s future in Syria may be a matter of debate, and analysts broadly agree that the loss of Syria will mean little to Russia in material terms. However, that the Kremlin wants to retain its ...

Russia is reportedly moving military equipment from Syria’s Tartus naval base and Khmeimim air base to eastern Libya after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Libya’s prime minister said it would be unacceptable for Russia to move weapons from Syria to the divided OPEC member, where rival powers in the east have previously drawn on Kremlin support.

After the fall of the Assad regime, Russian cargo planes flew equipment from Syria to bases Moscow controls in eastern Libya, according to U.S. and Libyan officials.

Russia appears to be moving some of its military equipment from Syria to Africa, where Moscow is expanding its military footprint.

Experts believe that Russia is moving defence materials from Belarus to Libya in a bid to increase its military presence.