On 5 November, Bloomberg reported that a defence deal is being ‘hammered out’ between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar following their meeting in Moscow in late September. According to Bloomberg, Haftar is seeking airdefense systems to protect him against rival forces in Tripoli as well as training for his air force pilots and special forces. In return, several air bases in eastern Libya currently occupied by Wagner fighters will be reportedly upgraded to host Russian forces. The Kremlin are also pushing for permanent docking rights at a Libyan port. Bloomberg indicates that the most likely location would be Tubruq.
