Russia denies talks with Haftar over creating military bases in east Libya
Russia has denied conducting any talks about installing military bases in Libya’s eastern region in coordination with eastern commander of the Operation Dignity, Khalifa Haftar.
“Russia is not conducting talks on creating military bases in Libya,” Viktor Ozerov, the head of the Russian Federation Council’s defense committee, said on Sunday, according to Sputnik.
Sputnik also added that Switzerland’s Neu Zuercher Zeitung newspaper reported citing Italian and Gulf media that Libyan General Khalifa Haftar had allegedly signed an agreement reflecting Moscow’s interest in creating bases in the cities of Tobruk and Benghazi during his visit to Russia’s Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrying cruiser.
“Such talks are not being conducted,” Ozerov told Sputnik.
The commander of Operation Dignity forces, Khalifa Haftar, who leads the forces of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR), signed a deal with the Russian government that would see $2 billion dollars worth arms coming to his self-proclaimed army, an HoR member, Ismaeil Al-Ghoul, revealed to the London-based Al-Arab newspaper early last week.
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