Russia turns Libya’s Al‑Khadim into Sahel arms hub

Russia has begun using Libya’s Al‑Khadim airbase near Benghazi to channel military equipment into the Sahel, RFI reports. Satellite and flight‑tracking data show a Russian Antonov‑124 cargo plane flying from Syria’s Hmeimin base to Al‑Khadim in mid‑May, then onward to Bamako and Ouagadougou before returning to Russia, according to RFI.

The plane, operated by a Russian defence ministry subsidiary, has made multiple such flights, carrying heavy armoured vehicles and artillery—a logistical lifeline for Moscow’s Africa Corps, which replaced Wagner in Mali . Analysts say Libya’s rapprochement with Russia, particularly under Khalifa Haftar, has enabled these flights. The military equipment arrivals, documented via satellite and Telegram posts from military channels, confirm Al‑Khadim’s emerging role as a linchpin for sustaining Russian influence in the Sahel .