Russians reportedly move to new base near Chadian border

Jan 14, 2025 | International actors

On 14 January, the Italian Agenzia Nova news agency reported that ‘according to well-informed Libyan sources’, Russia is transferring men and equipment to the Maatan al-Sarah (Ma’tan as Sarah) airbase in the southeast of Libya. According to the report, Syrian soldiers are engaged together with the Russian technicians ‘to re-establish the base, with the aim of transforming it into a strategic point for military operations in Africa, from which to directly supply Mali, Burkina Faso and, potentially, Sudan.’

According to Agenzia Nova, they have started to bring the base ‘that has been abandoned for years’ back to operational condition, restoring infrastructure such as runways and warehouses. Again according to Agenzia Nova, the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) Tariq bin Ziyad Brigade has deployed to secure the Maatan al Sarah airbase, the routes to Sudan and the supply of weapons and fuel from the port of Tobruk.

On 19 January, LNA Ground Forces Chief of Staff Saddam Haftar ordered the Subul al-Salam Brigade to take over security of Maatan al-Sarah, to monitor the region and to secure the eastern part of the border with Chad.