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Al-Araby Al-Jadeed has obtained information from monitoring and surveillance units of the new Syrian government confirming that Russia has transferred former Syrian soldiers and officers from the army of the deposed Bashar al-Assad regime to Libya.Ìý The sources said the objective is to integrate them into Russian military bases located in areas controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA) under Khalifa Haftar.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed is °®Âþµº's Arabic sister publication.

According to a member of the surveillance units attached to the new government's military operations administration, Russia recently moved approximately 1,000 personnel, including officers—primarily from the "Fifth Corps" and "25th Special Tasks Division," previously supported by Russia in Syria—from Hmeimim Air Base in Jableh, Latakia Governorate, to Benghazi Airport, which is under Haftar's control in Libya.

The source named as Abu Amin said some of the transferred individuals have criminal records in Syria and were among those who reconciled after the collapse of Assad's regime.

He also said that thousands of fighters formerly aligned with Assad’s forces and Iranian-backed militias fled to Lebanon and Iraq.

Many Syrian fighters who fled to Iraq were relocated to camps near the Al-Qa'im area on the Iraqi-Syrian border, while those who fled to Lebanon are dispersed across towns and villages along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Wael Alwan, a researcher at the Jusoor for Studies center, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Russia has transported multiple shipments of Russian officers and soldiers to various bases in Libya, including the "Benina" base. These shipments also included Syrian regime officers and significant military equipment, such as the S-400 air defense system, which was dismantled in Syria and relocated to an airbase in central Libya.

Alwan noted that Russia has evacuated more than 100 military points and bases across Syria, including Qamishli Airport in Hasakah, Jirah Military Airbase in eastern Aleppo, Tiyas Airbase in Homs, Deir ez-Zor Military Airbase, and various locations in southern Syria.

Due to restrictions on Russian naval access to the Black Sea, much of the military equipment and personnel were transported to Libya via Ilyushin aircraft.Ìý

Alwan emphasized that Russia is determined to maintain its presence at these two Syrian bases, particularly Tartus, as losing the naval base would create a strategic crisis for its operations in Africa.Ìý

Previously, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that Russia plans to withdraw all its military forces from Syria within a month. Over the past two days, 10% of Russian combat forces were withdrawn from Hmeimim Airbase to Russia. This withdrawal involved Ilyushin IL-76 and Antonov An-22 aircraft transporting military equipment in multiple phases.

The report also noted that Russian naval vessels have departed the Syrian coast, leaving only Hmeimim Airbase in Latakia, Qamishli Airport in Hasakah, and Tartus Naval Base on the Syrian coast. These facilities are expected to be vacated gradually within a month.