Russia is accelerating its military expansion across six strategic airbases in Libya, deploying fighter jets, drones, and air-defense systems as Moscow strengthens its foothold in North Africa and the Sahel, according to a report by the Africa Defense Forum citing data from the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

The expansion spans the Jufra, Al-Khadim, Ghardabiya, Brak Al-Shati, Maaten Al-Sarra, and Tamanhint airbases, located across central, eastern, and southern Libya. Intelligence reports have observed MiG-29 fighter jets, drones, and air-defense systems at these sites, alongside Russian military personnel and affiliated formations.

At Al-Khadim Air Base, roughly 100 kilometers east of Benghazi, three new hangars and suspected accommodation facilities were built over the past year. A possible communications tower and barracks were added in 2026, the report said, with Russian personnel present at the base.

The Russian presence at Brak Al-Shati Air Base has expanded since March 2024, with a hangar and two buildings believed to be used for aircraft maintenance constructed there. Personnel numbers increased from approximately 300 to 450 since December 2024.

Maaten Al-Sarra Air Base, near Libya’s borders with Chad and Sudan, is considered particularly significant. The base had remained abandoned since 2011 before Russian forces resumed using it, alongside work to rehabilitate its runways, warehouses, and other facilities. African security researcher Frank Talbot described it as a “potential strategic hub for Russian operations in the Sahel”.

The Africa Defense Forum linked these developments to a broader Russian effort to take advantage of Libya’s strategic location to support the movement of personnel, equipment, and weapons across North Africa and the Sahel. Moscow is also seeking to strengthen its presence in eastern Libya through projects linked to the Port of Tobruk and Tobruk Air Base.

The report was a collaborative effort between the Intelligence Studies Project and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency as part of the agency’s Tearline initiative. “The team assessed that expanding infrastructure development at Libyan air bases where Africa Corps has an established presence likely advances Russia’s military foothold in North Africa and the Sahel,” the Intelligence Studies Project said in a June 5, 2026 statement, “while enabling operations in the region and maintaining a military presence along NATO’s southern flank”.

The forum warned that the continued presence of foreign military forces “poses a challenge to efforts to unify Libya’s institutions” and complicates the goal of removing foreign forces and mercenaries from the country.