**Russia Plans to Move Military Equipment from Syria to Libya**
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency claims that Russia is planning to send some of its military equipment and weapons from the Tartus naval base in Syria to Libya. This move comes after rebels overthrew the Russian-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in December.
According to Ukraine’s HUR, Russian warships are scheduled to arrive at the Syrian port on January 5 and 8. The ships will then use cargo vessels to transport the military equipment and weapons to Libya.
**Russian Mercenaries in Syria**
The agency also claims that some mercenaries from Russia’s Africa Corps are stationed at the Tartus base. This group, reportedly made up of over 2,000 soldiers and officers, as well as experienced mercenaries, has been deployed in various countries including Libya, Ukraine says.
**Russia Withdraws From Syria**
As Assad’s regime fell, Russia began withdrawing its naval and military assets from Syria. However, this move is likely to damage Russia’s presence in the Middle East and solidify its defeat in the region, according to HUR.
The agency claims that armored personnel carriers have already been relocated to an airfield in Russia’s Vladimir Oblast, which suggests that some of Russia’s military equipment has already been moved from Syria.